The Road To Becoming A Lady
by valanterry
Summary: Sunako has been invited to attend her previous school's reunion. Will she attend knowing "he" will be there? And what will Kyohei think about the issue once he meets the guy who started it all...and maybe the one guy able to turn Sunako into a lady...
1. Chapter 1: Opening Memory's Door

* * *

**THE ROAD TO BECOMING A LADY**

**DISCLAIMER:**

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

**-- **

**Author's Note:**

This story is my version of Chapter 62 (Sunako's Reunion in Hokkaido where she meets gasp the boy who called her "UGLY") Please review my work…this is my first fanfic. BTW I suck at titles so bear with me on this one. I will also try not to be OOC with my characters to keep that "wallflower feeling".

**--**

_**CHAPTER 1: Opening Memory's Door**_

"Sunako-chan! You have a letter!" Yuki burst into the living room where the other three guys and Sunako were gathered. With a smile on his cute face, he handed the letter as if it was the most reasonable thing to do, an achievement on his part – but then again, Yuki had always treated simple things as something of importance.

"Thank you," was Sunako's quick reply, snatching the letter from his hands. She ripped the envelope open and after quickly scanning the contents, she froze up, emitting a dark vibe which was immediately sensed by the people in the room. Her eyes became round circles, eyebrows knit together as she read the contents slowly this time, her body shaking madly. And with a terrible scream, which caused Yuki to burst into tears ("I'm scared!" he cried to Ranmaru who immediately comforted him), she ran out of the room, dropping the letter in the process.

Kyohei, who was silently watching the whole scene, gave an irritated sigh, "What's her problem?"

"I don't know! I didn't do anything to her. I was just a messenger!" Yuki exclaimed.

Ranmaru gave a silent chuckle, stroking Kyohei's hair gently. "Poor, Kyohei…worried about the love of your life?"

Kyohei groaned, pushing Ranmaru away. "Shut up! Why the hell should I care if she's depressed or not? All I'm worried about is if she'll start getting all weird and refuse to do any housework again."

Takenaga rubbed his chin, and being the most observant of the four, spoke up. "I think this letter is the cause of her behavior." He picked it up, folded it and placed it in his pocket. "For now let's respect her privacy and see what will happen next."

--

* * *

"Looks like you were right to get worried, Kyohei!" Yuki cried as he had broken yet another plate. The other three had refused to let him cook, never forgetting how awful his cooking skills were. It had been three days since the day Sunako received the letter, and she had locked herself up again, refusing to do any of her household chores.

Kyohei groaned. "I told you so!" His stomach growled. "I knew this would happen! Man, I'm hungry! When will she ever leave that room of hers and cook a decent meal?!"

Ranmaru shot him an angry look. "My cooking is way better than Yuki's! And if you still complain about a getting a decent meal, why won't you go and drag her out of her room? You're the only one who can handle her in the first place!"

Just then, the phone rang. "What?" Ranmaru spoke over the phone in a curt tone. Ranmaru paused for a moment, brushing his bangs away from his hair. His tone immediately changed into a sexier one. Kyohei groaned. He knew that meant only one thing…

"Oh! Landlady! Tell me how I can be of service to your beauty?" Ranmaru spoke cheerfully. Yuki and Kyohei stopped what they were doing, and Ranmaru turned on the speaker-phone.

"STOP SUCKING UP TO ME, IDIOT!" The three guys could hear Landlady Nakahara's loud voice over the speaker-phone. "Where's my lovely niece, Sunako-chan?" Her tone always changed when she was asking about her niece.

"She's fine, Landlady. She's resting at the moment, though."

"Oh, then I guess I'll have to settle for you then," Landlady replied in a bored tone. "Tell my niece that her friends are expecting her to go to their reunion. I bought a dress especially made for that occasion. Oh, my niece will simply be the most beautiful girl there!"

Kyohei couldn't help muttering, "More likely she'll scare the pants out of them." To which the others replied by pushing him away before the landlady heard him.

Apparently she didn't. "So remember boys, make sure she looks her best!" She gave a hearty laugh, her voice filling the whole room. "And remember: IF SHE WON'T ATTEND I'LL MAKE SURE YOUR RENT SKYROCKETS!" With that, she hung up, leaving the three speechless.

Kyohei was the one who broke the silence. "That wouldn't be hard, I guess. We can just drag her there if she resists."

Yuki sighed. "You shouldn't do that! You're always so violent with her!"

Kyohei lost his temper by this time. "Well it's her own damn fault!"

"Now, now, Kyohei. Calm down. You know this won't help the situation any." It was Takenaga who just entered the door, holding Sunako's letter in his hand.

"You knew?" accused Kyohei angrily.

Takenaga nodded, tossing the letter onto the table. "I figured as much. The Landlady confirmed my suspicions."

"Then why didn't you say anything?!" the three boys exclaimed.

Takenaga shrugged. "I said it was just a suspicion. And besides, I didn't think it would matter to the Landlady whether Sunako decided not to go."

"But it does! You know how much that witch wants us to suffer!" Kyohei muttered angrily. He was rendered speechless all of a sudden by a hard slap on the face. "Ouch! Ranmaru, what the hell did you do that for?"

Ranmaru's eyes blazed, his finger pointing angrily to all three boys who stared at him in disbelief. "I can't believe you three! You missed out one very important detail as to why Sunako-chan won't go to reunion!" Ranmaru twirled around each of the three guys, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Takenaga, I thought you were the smart one," he chuckled then moved to Kyohei, patting him lightly on the head. "And you, I thought you knew your girlfriend so well…"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Kyohei was already ready to punch Ranmaru any moment.

"…the reason why Sunako doesn't want to go…" Ranmaru gave one last pirouette before giving his usual playboy wink. "…is because _he_ will be there."

-- END OF CHAPTER ONE --


	2. Chapter 2: Unforgotten Memory

**DISCLAIMER:**

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

**Author's Note:**

Thank you for the support! Working on chapter three as we speak. Hope you enjoy!

--

_**CHAPTER 2: Unforgotten Memory**_

'_My heart is beating so fast.'_

'_Will I be able to say it?'_

_She could feel her hands sweating. Any minute _he_ would go through the door and head towards her. She could feel her heart beating frantically at the thought that _he_ would be there._

_Minutes passed, already she felt butterflies in her stomach as she anticipated the moment. And then, at last, the door opened…_

_She felt like fainting. 'Please, God, don't let my nosebleeds start.' And finally, there he was, head bent, moving towards her. She felt her own feet start moving as though wanting everything to be over and done with._

_She saw him pause when he saw her, and that made her even more nervous._

"_I…"_

_He just looked at her. She hated herself for not being able to look him in the eye, because she knew that if she did, she would just faint._

"_I've liked you ever since…"_

"_I HATE UGLY GIRLS"_

--

Three days had passed since Sunako received the letter from her previous school in Hokkaido. For three days she just lay on the floor, covered by her black blanket, unmoving. There was something in the letter that made her act this way but the problem was that she herself didn't know the reason why. If she could only remember…

She looked around her dark room, trying to find out what she had forgotten. Was it the laundry? The housecleaning? The cooking? She could hardly tell how time flew when she was in the safe solitude of her dark room, away from the four radiant beings. Her sanctuary was what kept her sane (in her own opinion). But somehow, she was clueless to what she was feeling. Did it have something to do three days ago? Was there something that triggered her to forget? "I guess I should do my chores, Hiroshi-kun. I guess it's time for me to face those radiant beings again."

"_But Sunako-chan, aren't you forgetting something?"_ She could hear Hiroshi speaking through her thoughts. _"Why do you keep running away from it?"_

"I am not running away from anything!" She said firmly to her favorite doll, her best friend. "Hiroshi-kun, how can you say such a thing?"

"_Then why are you crying, Sunako-chan?"_

--

"Why does it always have to be me?" Kyohei struggled as the three guys attempted to push him towards Sunako's room. After three days of Sunako shutting herself inside her room, Takenaga, Yuki and Ranmaru decided to take matters into their own hands – meaning having Kyohei do all the dirty work for them.

"You're the only one who can handle her," Yuki stated as a matter-of-factly. "You know I will never be able to enter her room without getting scared."

Ranmaru shook his head, tugging at the leash that held Kyohei's rope. The three, knowing Kyohei had no intention of assisting them, had tied him while he was sleeping, and then dragged him to Sunako's room. "You're the only one who can tame the wild cat that she is," Ranmaru gave a sexy sigh. "Plus, you are in love with her no matter how many times you try to deny it."

At the sight of Ranmaru's wicked wink, Kyohei lost it. "I'm going to kill you all!"

His words were stopped by Takenaga. "Don't you realize that you're the only one who can do this? Believe it or not, you're the only one she listens to." Takenaga grabbed the leash from Ranmaru and cut Kyohei free. "While I have to trick her into doing something for us, you can do the same effortlessly."

"Takenaga! Why'd you set him free?"

"Let's have Kyohei decide whether or not Sunako is worth the effort. Besides, if he won't do it, then I guess I was wrong in thinking Kyohei could handle Sunako easily." Takenaga said with a grin. He shrugged his shoulders, and walked away, leaving the others to watch his retreating back.

Ranmaru shrugged as well. "I guess it can't be helped if Kyohei won't understand his feelings. Let's go, Yuki. After all, Takenaga may be right. Kyohei can't handle Sunako after all."

Kyohei watched as the other two left his side. He gave a loud sigh and scratched his head. "I guess it can't be helped. I'm hungry and I want her to cook me up some fried shrimp."

Just as he was about to open Sunako's door, it burst open. Kyohei leaned against the wall to keep from falling as the door hit him on the face. "Looks like I didn't need to get her out of her room after all."

Sunako didn't seem to notice him as she ran to the other side of the corridor to start doing the chores she left out three days ago.

"Hey! Cook me some fried shrimp!" Kyohei yelled at her retreating back. He sighed. At least that was over with. Now the three wouldn't be bothering him anymore. If only she'd turn into a lady, then all his troubles would be over.

Meanwhile, Sunako began doing the household chores she'd neglected the past few days. "Hiroshi-kun was wrong. Nothing is wrong with me. " She scrubbed the floor harder, trying her best not to think about her 'argument' with her best friend.

"Hey! After work cook me something good. After three days of locking yourself in your room, you owe me a good meal."

Sunako's eyes flared as she heard the radiant creature speak to her. "Go away!"

Normally, Kyohei was used to her wanting him out of her way, but something in her voice didn't sound right. He looked at her again. "Is something…?"

"I said go away!" she yelled louder, attempting to strike him now with her fist.

He caught it just as it was about to strike him. He pulled her close, raising her arm as he looked at her face which was now inches away from his. He had never seen her eyes so red, nor her cheeks stained with tears. _She really was crying, but why? _Unconsciously, he moved closer, his lips now a mere fraction away from hers. His mouth opened as though he wanted to say something. 'Sunako-chan…"

Her reply was a swift kick on the knee, making him kneel down in pain. He looked up, wincing, "What'd you do that for?"

She didn't reply, wiping her already bloody nose. She was about to strike him again until they heard a voice call out from the distance. Sunako gave one look at Kyohei then dashed away.

"Sunako-chan!" Ranmaru called out, but was only able to see her run away. "My, Kyohei, you really _can_ handle her! What did you say that made her come out of her room?" Ranmaru gave a silent giggle. "Naughty devil!"

Kyohei was too stunned to speak. It was the first time for him to see her that way that he hadn't noticed Ranmaru teasing him again. "She was crying…" was the only thing he managed to say.

-- END OF CHAPTER TWO --


	3. Chapter 3: Vague Recollection

**DISCLAIMER:**

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

**Author's Note:**

Thanks for all your reviews. I will try to do my best!

--

_**CHAPTER 3: Vague Recollection**_

_As soon as the bell rang, the girl ran to the nearest washroom leaving her friends behind. Her heart was beating madly, and she could feel the excitement rushing through her veins. "You can do this," the girl muttered to herself. She entered the washroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She smiled weakly, took a comb from her bag and began combing her short black hair._

_A few minutes later, the door to the washroom opened and a girl wearing the same uniform as she was, smiled at her. "There you are."_

_She smiled back then began powdering her nose. "Sorry I went on ahead, Suzu-chan."_

_Suzu laughed. "It's fine. Miki and I know what day it is today." Suzu leaned forward, looking at her friend who was now applying gloss on her lips. "Are you really going to tell him?"_

_The girl gave Suzu a quick smile. "Yes." She gave one last look at herself in the mirror then turned to Suzu. "How do I look?"_

"_You look beautiful, Sunako-chan."_

--

Ranmaru looked at Kyohei who was staring at Sunako's retreating back. "What did you do this time, Kyohei?" he teased his friend.

By this time, Kyohei had gotten back to his senses. "Shut up. I'm going out to eat." He gave Ranmaru a quick wave and left him.

"What was that all about?" Ranmaru wondered. He shrugged his shoulders and went to the living room. Takenaga was there reading Sunako's invitation to her school's reunion. "So much for giving Sunako her privacy." He gave Takenaga a teasing smile then leaned back on one of the couches.

"I was just thinking of a way to convince Sunako to go to the reunion. If Kyohei is too stubborn to do it for us, I might as well try."

"Don't be so hard on poor Kyohei, Takenaga. He was able to get Sunako out of her room already."

Takenaga's eyes widened. "Oh really? Then I guess I was right about him after all. He may seem like he doesn't care, but we know that isn't the case. The only problem now is that Kyohei hasn't asked Sunako if she's going to the reunion or not."

Ranmaru sighed. "Takenaga, Takenaga, Takenaga…" He closed his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief. "How can poor Sunako-chan go to the reunion knowing that the one who broke her heart will be there?"

"Is he all that's stopping her from going? We aren't sure of that yet, Ranmaru."

"What if it is? We don't know what's going on inside her mind…" Ranmaru replied. Soon, the two began arguing, not knowing that Kyohei was listening from behind the door.

"The guy's the reason, eh?" Kyohei muttered to himself.

--

'_Nothing is wrong.'_ Sunako thought to herself. "I am fine. Why do I have to be bothered by a silly letter?" Earlier, she had left Kyohei when he asked how she was doing. Although it was normal of her to get her defenses up every time he was near her, something made her react more violently than normal. Was it when he was about to ask how she was doing? Did he really notice something was wrong?

"No! Nothing is wrong with me!" she screamed again. How could she even begin to think something was wrong? That would mean Hiroshi-kun and Kyohei were right…and she knew they weren't. "There. Dinner's ready." Sunako smiled, feeling more confident. If something was wrong, she wouldn't be able to concentrate with her duties at all.

"Sunako-chan!" a voice called out.

Sunako winced, hoping it wasn't Kyohei coming to ask how she was doing again. She sighed with relief when she realized it was Yuki. Of the four boys, she felt most comfortable with Yuki, not breaking into a sweat or having heavy nosebleeds whenever she spoke with him (for a minute or so, she could handle his "radiance").

Yuki smiled patting Sunako on the back. "We thought you'd never leave your room. It's a good thing you came out. We were missing your cooking already."

Sunako gave a small nod and began to set the table. "Dinner's ready."

A few minutes later, Ranmaru and Takenaga entered the dining room. "Ah, Sunako-chan! How we missed you!" Ranmaru greeted her dramatically.

Takenaga was the next to greet her. "Hello, Sunako-chan. We're glad to see you're outside your room again.

Sunako gave a small bow again as the three sat on their usual seats by the dining table. _The radiant being is not here yet,_ she thought to herself. Sunako had never called any of the boys by their names, referring to each one of them as radiant beings or creatures of the light. Kyohei was the one she addressed as a radiant being the most as he was "too bright" for her to handle.

"You're looking for Kyohei? He's going to have dinner somewhere else, Sunako-chan," Ranmaru spoke after seeing Sunako glance at the empty seat where Kyohei used to sit.

"I…see." Sunako replied, preparing her own meal to take to her room. She never dined together with the radiant beings if she could help it – and this time she had decided to stay in her room again.

"You know, Sunako-chan, Hokkaido is a good place to be this time of year. With summer a few weeks away, don't you think it'll be better to go someplace cooler?" Takenaga blurted out.

Sunako stopped reaching for the tray to bring to her tray. _Hokkaido?_

"Yes, Sunako-chan. We should go on a vacation there. Remember your cute friend Yuki?" Ranmaru asked. Yuki was Sunako's friend from Hokkaido, who was also known as the granddaughter of the snow fairy from Hokkaido.

"And while we're there, we should check out Hokkaido's new hotel. The landlady might even book us room there." Takenaga was just about ready to lay the trap for Sunako. He and Ranmaru already talked about how they were going to convince Sunako to go to the reunion. They even briefed Yuki about their plan so that Sunako wouldn't notice.

"Isn't that where your old classmates will be staying? Wouldn't it be great to see them again?" Yuki added.

"Old classmates…?" Sunako began. She took a deep breath. Something did not sound right with their tones, but she couldn't tell what it was.

"_Are you really going to tell him?"_

A voice suddenly spoke through her thoughts.

"_You look beautiful, Sunako-chan."_

The voice spoke louder.

"_I HATE UGLY GIRLS."_

Suddenly, Sunako fell to hear knees. She could feel her heart beat wildly against her chest. _What's wrong, Sunako-chan?_ The voice screamed louder.

_WHY ARE YOU CRYING, SUNAKO-CHAN?_

Sunako gave a loud scream. "I am not crying! Nothing is wrong with me!" She clutched her head, hoping for the voices to stop speaking to her. The tears began falling uncontrollably. All of the sudden, the memories ran back into her mind. Memories she'd forgotten all came back to her. The voices she no longer wanted to hear began haunting her once again. "Leave me alone!"

A dark cloud covered her quivering form. _Must get to my sanctuary. Must forget…_ Sunako was getting frantic, her face already filled with tears. She ran from the dining room, rushing through the corridors to get back to the darkness of her room. But before she could reach the door, someone grabbed her arm. Before she knew it, she was spun around and held tight against a strong form. She tried to resist but suddenly everything went black…

--

When Sunako regained consciousness, she was on her bed covered by a black sheet. She sat up after realizing she was not alone in the dark recesses of her room.

"Finally, you're awake," the voice said.

She narrowed her eyes and turned away after recognizing the voice of one of the radiant beings. "Get out of my room."

"Idiot." Kyohei nudged her to allow him to sit on her bed.

"I said get out!" she raised her fist in order to strike him.

He blocked her blow easily and looked at her. "I know you've never opened up to us about your past so we have no idea what you went through. But you have to remember that we're your friends and we worry about you," he gave a sigh then scratched his head. "Look, you shouldn't worry about that guy anymore. We promised you we wouldn't let anyone call you "ugly" again, remember? And you had friends back in your old school, too, didn't you? Don't you want to see them again?"

Sunako turned her back and ignored him.

Kyohei clenched his fist, a bit annoyed. "Fine. Ignore me. All I'm saying is you should just forget about the past completely. You've been doing so ever since you moved here, why stop now? You shouldn't be affected by what he said to you anymore. He's not a guy worth remembering."

When Sunako still didn't say a thing, Kyohei shrugged his shoulders. "Do whatever you want." With that, he stood up and left her room.

--

"So you still didn't ask if she's going or not?" Ranmaru asked Kyohei who had just left Sunako's room. All four boys were in the living room discussing what just happened to Sunako.

"How heartless of you, Ranmaru! You know Sunako-chan's in no condition to think of that right now. I don't think she wants to go anyway…considering how she reacted a while ago. Just imagine how she would react if we asked her about the reunion then!" Yuki shuddered at the thought, knowing full well how scary Sunako could get.

"Forget it. She's not going." Kyohei stated. "And we shouldn't force her to."

"Isn't that sweet? Kyohei is actually thinking of Sunako-chan's feelings and not about the rent for a change! It must be love!" Ranmaru's eyes twinkled.

"I thought it was heroic of Kyohei to hold her when she was panicking." Yuki added.

"And he held her tightly to him, too! Don't forget that Kyohei was the one who carried her to her room when she fainted." Ranmaru replied dreamily. He and Yuki then looked at Kyohei with eager eyes.

"Shut up!" Kyohei began beating up Yuki and Ranmaru who continued to tease him to Sunako.

Takenaga rubbed his chin and stood up from his seat. "It looks like we're going to have to pay more than the usual rent this time…"

Just then, the door opened. It was Sunako who entered, her head bent low.

"Hello, Sunako-chan! We were just thinking about you." Ranmaru gave his famous smile despite the fact that Kyohei had his arm around his neck ready to hit him again.

"You don't have to go to the reunion if you don't want to, Sunako-chan." Yuki told her. His words made Kyohei and Ranmaru nudge him. He received a "Stupid! Why did you tell her?" from Kyohei and "You could at least say it in a nicer way…" from Ranmaru.

"I'm going…" Sunako spoke in a low but unmistakable tone.

-- END OF CHAPTER THREE --


	4. Chapter 4: Forgotten Feelings

**DISCLAIMER:**

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

**Author's Note:**

This chapter took longer than expected. Sorry for the delay. Thank you for the support!

--

_**CHAPTER 4: Forgotten Feelings**_

_Every time he would enter the room, her heart would start beating very fast. Her eyes would automatically search for him, as though magnetized. Not a single day passed that she did not think of him. This was probably the reason why she decided to pour her heart out at last. Did he know she existed? What would he say if she told him her feelings? Thoughts clouded her mind, making her unable to think straight. But she knew she had to tell him…_

_­_--

"I'm going…" Sunako spoke in a low but unmistakable tone.

Her words made all four of them stare at her. "Are you sure, Sunako-chan? We don't want to force you to do what you don't want to do." Takenaga said.

"The rent doesn't…" Kyohei began and this time, Ranmaru and Yuki began beating him up before he said anything else.

"It's fine. I'm going."

"Wonderful, Sunako-chan! We're all happy to know that you decided to go! We will support you all the way!" Yuki cheered.

"As long as the landlady pays for our trip and lodging…" muttered Kyohei under his breath.

Ranmaru smiled flashing five tickets in the air. "Worry not, Sunako-chan! I, the great Ranmaru Mori, have persuaded our dear landlady to allow us to accompany you on your trip."

Sunako shrugged. "I'm going to my room." Without another word, she bowed and walked away.

Takenaga watched her as she walked away. "I just hope she doesn't change her decision," he paused, facing the other three. "Be ready for her. We still don't know what she's going to do once we get to Hokkaido."

--

_Kya!! He is so cool!_

_He is so gorgeous!_

_You two would look perfect together._

_You should tell him your feelings, Sunako-chan!_

"_I HATE UGLY GIRLS."_

_--_

"That girl sure is scary. Did she really have to bring that ugly doll?" Kyohei complained to Takenaga. They were already on a train to Hokkaido. Sunako insisted in bringing Hiroshi-kun along.

"If we didn't bring, Hiroshi-kun along, who knows what she might do? You of all people should know how much that doll means to her. Remember that it caused so much trouble to us twice." Takenaga argued back. He had been referring to the two times Hiroshi had been "kidnapped."

Sunako, who was seated beside Hiroshi-kun, stared out the window. _Do they still remember me? Do they still want to be my friends?_

"_Are you wondering whether _he_ will be there, Sunako-chan?"_

Sunako-chan looked at her best friend. "What are you talking about, Hiroshi-kun?"

"_You shouldn't let it affect you anymore. Remember what the radiant creature told you before…'he' is not worth your tears."_

"Who are you talking to?" a voice from above her asked.

Sunako looked up in surprise then screamed when she found out it was Kyohei. She grabbed her black curtain and covered herself and Hiroshi up.

"Stop bugging her, Kyohei. I know you're itching to know what her first love looks like." Ranmaru teased him. "Don't worry. You still have time to sweep her off her feet."

Kyohei rolled his eyes and sat back on his chair. "I'm not itching to know what he looks like. He's probably as scary as she is."

--

"Ah, Hokkaido! This place certainly is beautiful!" exclaimed Yuki the moment they arrived at the hotel. The landlady had booked rooms for each of them since it was there that the reunion would be held.

"It certainly is! With all the beautiful women waiting for their Prince Ranmaru to arrive!" Ranmaru joined in.

Takenaga pulled out the landlady's letter from his pocket. "We should first leave our bags in our hotel rooms. Since the reunion will be held at the hotel, we'll have time to look around while Sunako signs the guest list."

"You hear that, Sunako-chan? The reunion will be held at this hotel. Aren't you excited to see your old friends?" Yuki smiled. Sunako ignored him, dragging her bags along with her.

After registering at the front desk to get their room keys, they headed to their respective rooms. As soon had they entered the hallway to their rooms, two girls bumped into them. "Oh!" exclaimed one of them.

Ranmaru immediately flashed his playboy smile. "Hello, ladies."

"Kya!! They're so gorgeous!" the other blushed, unable to keep her eyes away from them.

"Are you part of our class? I don't remember having gorgeous guys attend our school…" asked the first one, who appeared more timid than the other.

"Ah, so you two are attending the reunion!" Ranmaru exclaimed. He sighed, brushing his bangs away from his face. "A pity I am not invited to the reunion…"

"How did you know about the reunion? Only students who attended our school were given invites," the timid one spoke up.

"Quiet, Suzu-chan!" the other hissed. She turned back to Ranmaru, smiling nervously. "I could get invites for all four of you. I'm part of the committee who handles the event."

Sunako, who tried her best not to get noticed, turned her head. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came. Instead, she watched the two girls fawn over Ranmaru.

Kyohei glanced at her. "You, okay?"

She turned her head and bowed. "I'm going to my room." Without another word, she pushed the boys aside and walked into the hallway, a dark cloud hanging over her head.

"Please don't mind our friend. She just wants to go to her room as always." Ranmaru assured the two who paled when they saw Sunako's dark form walk away. "She's always like that so there's no need for the two of you to be scared." Ranmaru assured them.

Takenaga and Yuki looked at her retreating back. "We should do the same. I have to call Noi and tell her I arrived." Takenaga waved his hand and walked away, following Sunako's direction.

"I can't wait to check out the sites of this hotel. I heard that they have a lot of cool places I can visit here," Yuki smiled at the two girls. "Well, it looks like you'll both have Ranmaru to keep you company. You coming, Kyohei?" he turned to Kyohei who was silent.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm a bit hungry. I guess I'll go get something to eat." Kyohei muttered under his breath. "Let's go, Yuki."

Yuki nodded and the two walked to the rooms prepared for them. Before opening his door, Kyohei turned to Yuki. "Sunako-chan seemed awfully quiet a while ago."

Yuki shrugged his shoulders. "I guess she realized they were her classmates and didn't want to scare them." Yuki smiled and gave Kyohei a quick wave. "After leaving our things, we should go see if Takenaga wants to have a look around."

Kyohei nodded and watched as Yuki entered his room. He shook his head. Something about Sunako didn't seem right. Normally she wouldn't even care if she was scary. She seemed too quiet and it looked like something was bothering her. "Why the hell should I care anyway?" he muttered to himself. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to find out if she knew those two girls."

--

"_Sunako-chan! Did you tell him?"_

"_I…"_

"_Oh, my! Are you crying?"_

"_I told him."_

"_What happened, Sunako-chan?"_

"_He…called me ugly, Suzu-chan."_

--

"Suzu-chan…"

Sunako lay on her bed covering herself with her black curtain. She knew that name was so familiar. And yet, she couldn't recall where she heard it before. All she could think of was that the name reminded her of something painful.

"_You're crying again, Sunako-chan."_ Hiroshi-kun was speaking to her again.

Her shoulders shook. "I am not crying!"

"_Suzu-chan…wasn't she your friend? Why didn't you say something earlier?"_

Just then she heard a knock on her door. She stood up, wanting to erase Hiroshi-kun's words from her thoughts.

"Hey!" came Kyohei's voice when she opened the door. "I wanted to ask you something…" Kyohei groaned, pushing her inside when she refused to let him in.

"I refuse to have a radiant creature spoil my darkness!" she hissed, trying her best to push him away.

He sighed, dragging her to bed while she continued to fight him. "I was just curious with something…" He tossed her on her bed while he sat on one of the chairs. "Your expression changed when we met the two girls. Did you know them?"

Sunako's angry face paled. It was a good thing it was too dark for him to see the expression on her face. "What's it to you?"

He shrugged. "It's just that you weren't acting like yourself."

Did he notice? She felt her hands go cold. "If you're staying in my room, I'm leaving." Sunako replied stubbornly. Not wanting Kyohei to stop her, she quickly dashed out of the room.

He sighed. He knew he shouldn't be too concerned with her since she always acted weird. "Fine. If she won't tell me, then I'll ask the girls if they know her."

--

Nothing was wrong with her. How dare the radiant creature think that something was wrong! Sunako had left room to avoid answering the radiant creature. "I'm fine. Nothing's wrong with the way I'm acting."

Takenaga had mentioned earlier that the reunion was going to be held at the hotel. The event was two days away but the guests were supposed to register their names earlier. Sunako looked at the banner that announced the class reunion. Did anyone remember who she was? She suddenly felt a stab of pain in her heart. Something was blocking the memories she had in Hokkaido. If only she could remember what it was…

"Suzu-chan…" Sunako suddenly had a bright idea. Suzu-chan's friend had mentioned being part of the event committee. Too bad she didn't stick around to remember the girl's name. Maybe she went the registration booth. If Sunako found her, then she could ask about Suzu-chan. She looked around, wondering where she should sign up. When she found the booth at last, her body froze. An unknown force stopped her from taking another step. The next thing Sunako saw was everything going black.

--

"Where could those two have gone?" Kyohei wondered when he left Sunako's room. Two girls shouldn't be hard to find. And if they were with Ranmaru, then he knew they'd easily be spotted. Ranmaru always liked drawing crowds to him. Kyohei scratched his head. If the two knew Sunako, then what should he do next? Suddenly, Ranmaru's words on the train came back to him.

_I know you're itching to know what her first love looks like._

"Stupid Ranmaru. I don't want to know what he looks like. Sunako hasn't even mentioned his name." He kept looking for the two girls when he spotted a familiar figure in the distance. He sighed, shaking his head. "What has she done this time?"

He walked to where she stood, still frozen. "Hey, Sunako-chan. What's wrong…" he began. His eyes turned to the direction she was staring at. He turned his attention back to her and was about to say something until she fainted. Shaking his head again, he gathered her in his arms turning his attention again to the figure she was staring at. "So that's what he looks like…"

-- END OF CHAPTER FOUR --


	5. Chapter 5: First Love

**DISCLAIMER:**

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

**Author's Note:**

Thanks for being patient with me. I'll try to make the next chapters better.

_--_

_**CHAPTER 5: First Love**_

_His hair was the color of chocolate. That was probably the reason why she loved chocolates since they reminded her of him. He was taller than she was, so it was easy for her to spot him when he was in a crowd. When he smiled, time stopped, and her heart would beat frantically against her chest. His voice was deep and distinctive, and she could easily hear him even if he was far away. And because he was very good looking, it was difficult to keep her eyes away. Only in her dreams could she ever walk up to him, much less talk to him. And she hoped, one day she'd be able to tell him how she felt._

--

When Sunako opened her eyes, she found herself on her bed covered by her favorite black curtain. She sat up in surprise, wondering how she got there in the first place. All she could remember was blacking out, but the reason for her doing so was still unknown.

"Oh, so you're awake…" a familiar voice spoke from the shadows.

She nodded then tossed her black curtain away. "Oh, it's you." she stood up from the bed and attempted to leave the room.

"Are you alright?"

She gave a quick nod, recognizing the voice of one of the radiant beings. She looked away, not wanting to look at him. "I…I have to go." Her hand reached out to turn the doorknob, but suddenly she stopped herself. "Um, what happened a while ago?"

"You should ask Kyohei that. He was the one who brought you here." Takenaga replied, emerging from the shadows. He was the only one able to withstand Sunako's "scariness" apart from Kyohei.

"Right." Sunako replied, although Takenaga knew she wouldn't be asking Kyohei about it anyway.

"Well, I have to go meet Yuki at the hotel's museum. We'll meet you later for dinner so that we can talk about what you're supposed to wear at the reunion, ok?" Takenaga reminded her.

Sunako nodded again and watched as Takenaga left the room. Having no more reason to leave, she sat on the bed again and stared blankly at the ceiling.

_Why can't I remember what happened a while ago?_

--

"That girl is such a pain." Kyohei muttered to himself as he walked along the corridor of the hotel. He had wanted to speak with Sunako's old classmate, Suzu, a while back but instead he found Sunako frozen stiff near the ballroom where the reunion was to be held. He hadn't expected seeing the guy Sunako loved before either. And when he did, he couldn't even say a thing since Sunako fainted in front of him. He didn't know why he had to bring her to her room. But then again, a frozen solid Sunako on the floor would not be a pretty sight.

"Are you looking for someone?" a girl's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Kyohei looked up and smiled. "You're just the girl I've been looking for."

--

"_What do you like about him?" her friend asked._

_The girl looked at her friend and smiled. ""I don't know, Suzu-chan. I just like him. He's absolutely perfect!"_

"_Perfect?"_

_The girl looked at her friend and leaned against the wall. "Well for one thing, he's very popular and good-looking. He's even good in sports," the girl sighed dreamily. "I just hope one day he'll notice me."_

"_You should tell him how you feel!"_

"_Maybe I should. But what if he doesn't like me?"_

"What's not to like about you, Sunako-chan? You're special."

_--_

"You were looking for me? But why?" the girl blushed. Seldom did a guy look for her, especially one as gorgeous as the one in front of her.

"I wanted to ask you something." Kyohei told her. "You're, Suzu, right?"

The girl nodded. "How did you know my name?"

"Well, I overheard your friend say your name a while ago."

"Oh." Suzu smiled uncertainly, her face a bright red. "Um…what is it you wanted to ask me?"

Kyohei put his hands in his pockets, swaying nervously. "I wanted to know if you knew a girl named Sunako Nakahara."

Suzu was taken aback by his question and paled all of a sudden. "Y…yes I do." She turned away from Kyohei, unable to look at him anymore.

"Well I was just wanted to know who her friends in Hokkdaido were. She's my friend and we live in the same boarding house." Kyohei tried to restrain himself from asking Suzu about Sunako's past. The truth was that Ranmaru was right. He did want to know about the guy Sunako loved before and he hated his curiosity for it.

"That's nice. Sunako-chan has friends…" Suzu replied, her tone changing.

"Were you friends with her?" Kyohei was surprised at Suzu's sudden change in tone.

"I was, but…not anymore."

He looked at her in confusion. "Why not? Did you two fight or something? Or was it because she left Hokkaido?"

She shook her head. "Well…she _changed_. All because of Zaki…"

"Zaki?"

"Zaki was Sunako's first love."

--

_She would often watch him practice after school. He was very good with soccer and she loved watching him play. She could easily spot him even if he were in a crowded room since his face was the only one she saw .If only he would look her way, or smile at her… if he would only speak her name, she would be content. But then again, she knew he didn't know who she was…_

--

_Zaki._

Sunako could feel her heart beat painfully against her chest.

_Zaki._

Something had burst inside her, and she could hear a voice speaking to her in the darkness.

_Do you remember him, Sunako?_

"No! No! No!" Sunako screamed into the darkness. She covered her ears, trying to deafen the voices in her head.

_But Zaki…wasn't he, your first love?_

At those words, Sunako's eyes widened. She lay back on the bed, curled up in a ball with her blanket covering her shivering body. She could feel the tears falling down her cheeks and she tried furiously to wipe them away. "Zaki."

It had been three years since she spoke his name. And now that she did say it, the voices in her head disappeared, and the memories she'd forgotten all came back to her.

"I…remember."

--

"Sunako-chan used to be in love with Zaki-kun. He was the most popular boy in school and was also very good with sports. Sunako loved watching him practice soccer after school…" Suzu sighed, gazing up at the ceiling. "Whenever she separated from the group, my friends and I would always find her somewhere staring at Zaki. Her conversations would always start with _'Zaki-kun was so cool at practice'_ or _'Do you think Zaki-kun will accept a present from me?'_. Sunako-chan was very shy, but we encouraged her to tell Zaki-kun how she felt. Then finally, she told us that she was going to tell him she loved him."

Kyohei listened to Suzu while she spoke, and was surprised to find out how different Sunako was back then. "Then what happened?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't really know what happened on that day. All she said was that she told him. But I remember her crying nonstop when she told us. She refused to tell us the details of what happened. And then…she…changed…."

"Changed? In what way?"

Suzu looked like she was about to cry. "Well…after the incident with Zaki-kun, she wouldn't walk home to school with us anymore. Then one day she looked _different_. She usually fussed over how she looked but suddenly something came over her like a shadow. She wouldn't let us near her and would prefer to be alone with the doll she found outside the science laboratory. She changed and we all felt afraid of her so…we…left her alone…we couldn't come near her anyway so we decided that it would be best to go out of her way…"

Suddenly, Kyohei cut her off. "What kind of friend were you? It was obvious something was wrong with her."

"She was so scary! It was hard to be friends with her! It was hard enough to even be near her!"

"Then you weren't really her friend," Kyohei replied, not bothering to sugarcoat his words. "If you were a friend to her, then you would have known something was wrong. Instead, you decided to just leave her alone."

Kyohei's words cut Suzu like a knife and immediately her tears started to flow. "I know I'm not worthy to be called her friend and believe me I've regretted it ever since she transferred to a different school."

Kyohei was never good in dealing with someone crying, much less a girl. He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Why don't you just make up to her now? I'm sure she'll appreciate it if you go talk to her at the reunion."

Suzu's eyes suddenly lit up. "I've got it! I know how to make it up to her!" She gave him a weak smile. "Zaki will be at the reunion too. It's perfect. I'll have them meet again and maybe this time…" she trailed off seeing Kyohei look away. "If you're wondering how I'll do it, don't worry…I'm in the event committee so it'll be easy for me to bring them together."

Kyohei couldn't look at Suzu this time. He wasn't really sure Suzu's plan of bringing Sunako and Zaki together would work. He even shuddered to think how Sunako would react when she came face to face with the guy who broke her heart. "Don't jump to any conclusions just yet. I don't know how Sunako would react if she and Zaki came face to face after all this time."

"Is something wrong?" Suzu looked at Kyohei innocently. "You don't want them to get together, do you?" She gave him a bright smile. "Do you like her?"

Kyohei shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. She's my friend. I was just curious about her first love."

Suzu smile broadened. "I thought you were curious about her friends. I only mentioned Zaki because I was telling you about how Sunako and I stopped talking to one another."

Kyohei sighed. He hated himself for his slip of the tongue. If he added anything more, Suzu might think he_ liked _Sunako. "Bring them together. I don't really care who Sunako likes." He turned away from Suzu. "I have to go. My friends and I have to make sure Sunako attends the party later on. Thanks for telling me about Zaki. Sunako doesn't really open up to us much so I thought I'd go ask someone who knew about her past."

Suzu gave a small nod. "Don't mention it. I should thank you too, for making me realize what a friend I was to her. Don't worry. I'll make it up to her," she paused and pulled out four tickets from her purse. "By the way, these tickets can get you inside the party, if you and your friends are interested." She handed the tickets to Kyohei. "It would be great if you could come."

"Thanks. I'll ask the others if they want to go." He pocketed the tickets and walked away, leaving Suzu to watch his retreating back.

Suzu smiled as she watched him go. She knew Kyohei liked Sunako even though he refused to admit it. It was either that or he just didn't realize it yet.

--

Kyohei didn't look back when he left Suzu. If she wanted to bright Sunako and Zaki together, he didn't care. The only problem he had was if Sunako acted differently. She still hated parties and dressing up for them, too. And what she hated most, Kyohei knew, was being hooked up. He groaned as he remembered the many times the Landlady set him and Sunako up on dates, even going as far as locking the two of them in a room alone. But then again, Sunako had hated his "radiance" and that was the reason she would rather stay in the dark than go near him. Plus, Zaki was not Kyohei so he wasn't really sure how she would react if she came face to face with him. "Maybe she'll finally turn into a lady and we wouldn't have to pay the rent anymore," Kyohei said to himself. "That would be the life. Maybe Suzu's plan would work…" He shrugged his shoulders and bent his head as he began walking back to his room. He was too busy thinking of the outcome of Suzu's plan when he bumped into someone.

"Hey, watch where you're going…" the voice said.

"Sorry about that…" Kyohei trailed off, lifting his head to see who he bumped into.

It was Zaki.

-- END OF CHAPTER FIVE --


	6. Chapter 6: Unwisked Princess

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

Author's Note:

I'm sorry for the LONG LONG LONG wait! Enjoy!

--

**CHAPTER 6: UNWISKED PRINCESS**

Sunako woke up finding herself atop her bed, drenched in sweat. Her head was pounding as though unwanted thoughts had finally penetrated her mind. She clutched her chest, panting heavily. Even her heart pounded nonstop, and like her mind, she felt the forgotten emotions flooding back to her. Instinctively her hand moved to her eyes, which she knew would be stained with tears. A single word passed her lips, "Zaki…"

Ranmaru sighed. He knew it was his turn to _woo_ Sunako from her room. Yuki had refused earlier, and Takenaga already tried and failed. He shook his head, brushing away the few strands of red locks from his face. "To be Ranmaru, one has to be charming with all ladies…" he sighed again. "…alas, this particular lady has claws for nails…" He closed his eyes, "If only your Prince Kyohei would finally open your eyes to beauty…unfortunately, this is not to be." He gave a wicked grin. "But then again, it could be _I,_ Prince Ranmaru, the prince of love and beauty!"

No sooner had Ranmaru moved to knock on the door did it open abruptly. Ranmaru was taken aback and braced himself for the scare of his life, something Sunako did quite often. But this time, surprised though he was, this was a Sunako that Ranmaru never expected to see.

"Sunako-chan, are those tears?"

--

"Watch where you're going…" the voice said. Kyohei groaned. Of all the people he bumped into in Hokkaido, it had to be the one he hoped he'd never have to meet.

"Sorry…" Kyohei managed to mumble under his breath. He didn't know why, but he had the sudden urge to punch the guy senseless.

The guy he bumped into watched him curiously. He was about to say something when his friend suddenly blurted out. "Zaki, guess who's here? It's the creepy girl who fell in love with you. Honestly, you attract the weirdest people."

Zaki groaned. "Don't remind me."

Kyohei knew that was his cue to leave the scene unnoticed, but he couldn't help but listen to the conversation. It was a good thing the two didn't seem to notice he was still there since they continued to speak.

"What if she tries to talk to you again?"

Zaki shivered. "You know what I told her the last time she did that right?"

"Yeah, how could I forget? We were laughing about it for hours. _'I hate ugly girls'_. Only you could say that to a girl."

Zaki smiled. "Well she is one. And I really _hate_ ugly girls…"

It was then that Kyohei's vision turned black. Before he knew what he was doing, he punched Zaki straight on the face.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Zaki tried to stop the urge to hit Kyohei back.

Kyohei's eyes blazed. "That _creepy_ girl you were talking about is my friend. I'll hurt anyone who calls her ugly again."

Zaki laughed. "So you know Sunako Nakahara. I can't imagine a guy like you being friends with an ug…" he caught himself before he said the word. He gave a small smile. "…someone as _lonely_ as Nakahara was. For a friend you certainly are supportive of her. Very well. I know I was at fault. I'm sorry I called your friend ugly. Please tell her I hope to see her at the party tomorrow night." He gave Kyohei a small wave and walked away with his friend.

--

"Su…sunako-chan…maybe you should tell me what happened. Why were you crying?" Ranmaru tried looking as calm as he possibly could. He already couldn't handle Sunako when she went into her "scary mode", and her being in a mode that he couldn't understand was even more stressful. He just wished the others were there with him.

Sunako silently watched him, shaking her head. "Zaki." She wanted to bang her head on something…something that would maker her forget the way she was feeling right now.

"What's a Zaki?" Ranmaru looked at her puzzled with the way she was acting.

It was then that Sunako realized that even though the radiant being was with her, she wasn't suffering from her nosebleeds yet. "Go away. You're ruining my sanctuary." She tried pushing the radiant one away.

"But, Sunako-chan…you're…" Ranmaru sighed as he let her push her towards the door. "Don't you need someone to talk to about your feelings?"

"Get out!" Sunako screamed again, shoving him outside.

"Well…er…don't forget that the reunion is tonight. Whether you like it or not, we have to get you dressed up for the party."

Sunako's eyes widened. She had forgotten that the reunion was tonight. "Yeah." With that she slammed the door leaving Ranmaru with a look of wonder on his face.

--

"Zaki, why the hell did that guy punch you?" As soon as they had left the guy who punched Zaki, Zaki's friend tried to think of a reason why anyone would want to punch Zaki.

"Weren't you listening, Mido? Apparently, that guy was Nakahara's friend. I guess she told him everything about me when she still studied at Hokkaido High."

"Not everything…she probably stretched the truth. She was such a stalker she deserved what happened to her."

Zaki laughed at this. "Well, you have to admit what I did was pretty mean as well."

"Yeah but that guy didn't have to punch you. He didn't even know who you are!"

"True. So I guess we'll have to teach him a lesson then eh, Mido?"

Mido looked at Zaki curiously. "What do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking…Nakahara will be there at the reunion, right? I'm suddenly quite excited in seeing what she looks like now…"

--

Takenaga looked at Ranmaru curiously. Ranmaru had just finished telling them about his encounter with Sunako earlier. "She mentioned a Zaki. I don't know what that meant…" Ranmaru was saying.

"Maybe that has something to do with the reunion later." Yuki shrugged his shoulders.

"And you said Sunako-chan was crying before she mentioned Zaki?" Takenaga asked, rubbing his chin slowly.

"Yes. Then all of a sudden when I asked her what a Zaki was, she pushed me out the door."

At this, Takenaga laughed suddenly. Both Yuki and Ranmaru looked at him. "What's so funny?" they both asked him.

"Well, I find it funny that _Prince Ranmaru_ didn't figure out the reason why Sunako-chan was upset." Takenaga tried hard to stifle his laughter.

"Well, a person as _important_ as I am cannot expect to know everything." Ranmaru pouted, turning his back on Takenaga.

Yuki looked at Takenaga curiously. "Why was Sunako-chan upset, Takenaga?"

"Apparently, Ranmaru didn't realize that _Zaki_ is the name of the boy who called her ugly…"

--

Kyohei couldn't believe what he just did to Zaki. He couldn't believe how angry he was with what Zaki thought of Sunako. What bothered him the most was how he reacted to the situation. He certainly never expected to bump into Zaki. But to hear Zaki laugh about Sunako like it was the funniest thing he ever did really got into his nerves. He didn't notice how mad he was until he heard someone call his name. "Takano-san?"

He turned and saw Suzu running towards him. "Suzu? Is something wrong?"

"Takano-san! I have something for you."

"What is it?"

She handed him a small envelope and smiled. "It's for you to find out." Not waiting for his reply, she winked and walked away.

He looked at the envelope. "What the hell is inside this anyway?" He tore it open, glancing at the envelope's content. "Oh…" were the only words Kyohei could say once he realized what was inside.

--

"I can't believe Sunako-chan let us in her room without a fight." Yuki exclaimed. As soon as the clock struck five, he, Takenaga and Ranmaru went straight to Sunako's room to get her ready for the reunion party that would happen that night. They expected Sunako to put up a fight and were ready to force their way into her room. However, when they knocked on the door, Sunako let them in without complaining as she usually did.

"Where's Kyohei?" Takenaga asked the other two. "He knows he's supposed to be helping us fix Sunako-chan up for the party."

"Who knows? Maybe he's off to find…" Ranmaru started to say until Takenaga stopped him.

"Well, we can manage without him." Takenaga responded, trying to drown Ranmaru's words. He had a gut feeling that once Ranmaru mentioned the word '_Zaki_', Sunako would suddenly go nuts. He had experienced enough to realize that Sunako had a tendency to overreact at the slightest instant when she had to deal with her feelings. And he knew that Zaki was one of those people she had trouble dealing with, at least that was what he thought – and he had no desire to prove himself wrong. Just for tonight, they had to go through Sunako going to the reunion.

"Are you excited about tonight, Sunako-chan?" Yuki looked at her eagerly as he continued to brush her long black hair.

Sunako didn't reply, and when Yuki looked her, he shivered. Her eyes were expressionless, her lips quivering into a small smile. Ranmaru looked at Yuki and gave him a smile. "I think I should start with the make-up already. Takenaga's going to fix her hair instead. Why don't you go get her dress?"

Yuki gave a sigh of relief and walked to get Sunako's dress while Takenaga took his place and attempted to fix Sunako's hair.

"Sunako-chan, think of all the friends who missed you! They'll be so happy to see you tonight!" Ranmaru exclaimed.

A few minutes later, Yuki came back with Sunako's dress. "Wow! You look beautiful, Sunako-chan. Here's your dress. I'm sure you'll look stunning when you wear it."

Sunako, who had remained silent during that time, finally turned her head and looked at the dress. "I'm supposed to wear that?"

"W…well…the landlady thought it would suit you if you wore something pink…" Yuki managed to say.

She looked in horror at the dress Yuki was offering her.

Suddenly, Takenaga spoke up. "If you wear that dress, I'll give you this to wear around your neck, Sunako-chan…" He dangled a silver necklace above her head. On the chain lay a white skull pendant.

Sunako's eyes lit up. "I'll wear it." She smiled, taking the dress from Yuki. Without another word, she left the three to change into the dress.

Ranmaru rubbed his brow. "Way to go, Takenaga!"

Just then, the door opened and Kyohei entered. "What did I miss?"

The three stared at him angrily. "You're late…" they chorused.

"I had to do something…" he looked at them sheepishly. He handed the others the tickets Suzu gave, careful not to show them the envelope she gave him a while ago. "You guys better change. Suzu invited us to attend the party so we could keep an eye on Sunako-chan."

Ranmaru looked at him with an evil grin. "Oh…how sweet of you to get tickets. I didn't know you wanted to be with Sunako-chan during her reunion. Afraid she'll get swept off her feet again by Zaki?"

"How'd you find out about Zaki?" Kyohei looked at him in surprise.

"How did _you_?" the three looked at him, matching his surprise.

Before any of them had the chance to offer an explanation, Sunako came back wearing the dress. All of them looked at her, unable to say anything. Sunako looked every bit like a lady in the dress. The dress fit her like a glove, showing off her figure. Her hair had been piled atop her head and away from her face. She had very little make-up on, but the effect was perfect as they heightened her already lovely features. Her violet eyes appeared much larger, and her lips matched the color of her dress. She finally broke the silence when she blurted out, "I want the skull."

Takenaga smiled, handing the necklace to Kyohei. "Help her wear it. Since you're all dressed up, you can take her to the party. We'll just follow after we get dressed." He gave a sly wink to the other two who immediately followed his lead.

"Whatever." Kyohei groaned. "Hey! Come here while I put this around your neck."

Sunako looked at him coldly. "I can manage by myself!" She tugged the necklace from Kyohei. Kyohei released his hold and watched her as she turned her back away from him and began fastening the necklace from around her neck.

With the others gone, Kyohei knew this was his chance to ask her about Zaki. "Hey, uh…about that guy…" Kyohei bent his head, not sure whether he should say what he wanted to say to her. His hand moved to his pocket where the envelope was.

Sunako paused, still unable to fasten the necklace. "Guy?"

"Yeah…_him_…"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She was getting annoyed already, and was still unable to fasten the clasp around her neck.

"I know you do." Kyohei groaned as he watched her having trouble with the necklace. "I just wanted you to know that he was never worth your tears." He moved towards Sunako and put his fingers around her neck.

Sunako froze as she felt his soft hand move around her shoulders. Suddenly she heard small sound and his hands moved away.

"I think you're special, Sunako. You don't deserve a guy like him."

She moved her hand to the back of her neck and let her fingers brush against the clasp Kyohei fastened. She turned around to say something and realized that Kyohei had left the room. She bit her lip, remembering his last words.

_I think you're special, Sunako. You don't deserve a guy like him._


	7. Chapter 7: The Reunion

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

Author's Note:

I'm sorry for taking so long. Chapter 8 next week!

--

**CHAPTER 7: THE REUNION**

Are you sure about this, Zaki? You know what happened…" Suzu looked at Zaki curiously, wondering what in the world he was thinking.

Zaki smiled. "Yes, Suzu-chan. I've been dying to see Nakahara ever since I heard she was coming to the reunion." He gave Suzu a small wink. "Just do what I just told you. I was really mean to Nakahara and I want to make it up to her."

Suzu bit her lip in uncertainty. "I guess it'll be alright. After all the seating arrangements haven't been finalized yet."

"Thanks, Suzu, you're an angel." Zaki gave her a small wave and entered the ballroom where the reunion was to be held. He purposely came to the party earlier than the others. That would give him enough time to set out what he planned to do. "Nakahara Sunako, you're in for one big surprise…"

---

When Sunako turned around, Kyohei had already left the room. She sighed in relief because if he stayed any longer, she would've bled to death. One thing that puzzled her though were the words Kyohei told her before he left. _I think you're special, Sunako. You don't deserve a guy like him._ She brushed the thought aside. "Stupid, radiant being." She slammed the door behind her and was about to head towards the corridor when someone grabbed her arm.

"Took you long enough. You ready?" Sunako turned around and saw Kyohei with his back leaned against the wall. "Well? Are you just going to stand there? I'm hungry."

Her eyes flared up and she pulled her arm away. "Then why didn't you just go ahead? It's not like I'm going to run away. I already said I was going."

He groaned. "Whatever. The others would kill me if I left you by yourself…" he hesitated, looking away. "...plus I want to talk to someone there…"

She didn't say anything else but instead walked away. There was no way she was walking beside the radiant creature, especially now that she was in Hokkaido. The radiant one was too _radiant_ for his own good and she shuddered to think what people would say when they saw her with Kyohei.

"Hey, wait up, will you?" Kyohei called out to her, practically doubling his steps just to catch up with her.

When they finally reached the ballroom, they were both greeted by Suzu who bowed to Kyohei. "Takano-san! Where's Suna–" her words were cut off when her eyes met Sunako's. Could it possibly be _her_? Suzu looked at the girl beside Kyohei. She looked nothing like the Sunako Nakahara she knew back in junior high. It couldn't be, but Suzu knew it was Sunako, although there was something different with the way Sunako carried herself. She was brought back to her senses when Sunako smiled at her.

"Hello, Suzu-chan."

Kyohei's eyes widened. Did Sunako just smile? He scratched the back of his neck. Her never could figure out what Sunako was thinking, but at least she didn't get all weird and creepy again."Hey, Suzu-chan. Are we late?"

Suzu's eyes beamed. Sunako had just spoken to her. "Sun-chan! Sun-chan!" she burst into tears. "I am so sorry. I was such a bad friend to you. I didn't even comfort you when Zaki called you ug–" she stopped herself from saying the word "ugly" much to Kyohei's relief.

Sunako smiled again. She could feel her heart beating fast again. "Don't worry, Suzu-chan. You were a great friend to me back in junior high. It was my fault for not telling you what happened and for pushing you away. You're one of the reasons why I came back to Hokkaido. I wanted to see my old friends again. Thank you for inviting me." Sunako bowed and handed Suzu her invitation.

Suzu smiled weakly. "Oh, Sun-chan. I thought you'd never forgive me. But don't worry. I'll make everything up to you." Suzu took Sunako's invitation and handed her a blue card. "You'll be at the blue table. The seating arrangements are all color-coded. I made sure to put you at the blue table so that you won't be alone. I'll be there seated beside you."

Kyohei gave Suzu a quick nod and then sighed in relief. At least he wouldn't have to worry about how Sunako would behave at the reunion. Suzu would be there and he knew Sunako would be at ease as long as she knew someone there.

Suzu seemed to read his thoughts. "Don't worry, Takano-san. I will take good care of Sunako-chan. I know how much she means to you."

Kyohei looked away. "Whatever. I just wanted to make sure she wouldn't cause a scene. Where will my friends and I be seated?"

Suzu handed him a green card. "Green table. I wanted to seat you at the blue table but our organizer Hinagi-san said that family and friends shouldn't be seated with the students."

"Just make sure Sunako-chan will be out of trouble's way. I'd hate for her to ruin the reunion." Kyohei gave a small laugh.

Sunako shot him a look. "You're the one who always causes the trouble."

"Well, you're always the reason why there's trouble." Kyohei answered back.

Beads of sweat formed on Suzu's forehead. "Please, let's not fight. The other students will be arriving soon."

Sunako didn't say another word and headed straight to her designated table in the ballroom. Kyohei on the other hand didn't go directly to his table but instead scanned the room for the face he hoped he wouldn't see. He groaned, wondering why he was looking in the first place. It wasn't as though he would gain anything from finding that face. But then again, seeing that face would make him want to punch it once more. Just then, his eyes flared as he spotted the face he didn't want to see – Zaki's.

---

Sunako went straight to her table, leaving the radiant being with Suzu. Her heart wouldn't stop beating and she could feel cold sweat forming on her forehead. She sat down, her head bent. It was then that she realized that she wasn't ready to be at the reunion at all. In fact, she wasn't even sure she was ready to see her old classmates as well. But then again, seeing Suzu's face light up when she saw Sunako was heartwarming. It was a pity they couldn't talk more as Suzu had to make sure all the guests and students were seated at the right tables. Where was Hiroshi when she needed him the most? Her eyes scanned the room, and fell upon the radiant being who still wasn't seated at his table. "Stubborn as ever." Sunako rolled her eyes and turned away lest he saw her looking at him. The last thing she wanted was another nosebleed and looking at him would just cause her to faint and bleed to death. Why did he have to be there in the first place? It wasn't as though he knew anyone there – with the exception of Suzu-chan. And the others – why did the other creatures of the light have to attend her reunion as well? She could understand Ranmaru, though. She knew he'd be there to flirt with all the girls who attended the reunion. But for Takenaga and Yuki? What were their reasons for wanting to go? She was so busy wondering that it took a while for her to realize that someone had taken the empty seat beside her. Thinking it was Suzu-chan, she turned to smile at her friend, only to realize that the face in front of her was not the face she expected it to be.

"Hello, is this seat taken?"

It was Zaki.

---

Zaki, who arrived at the reunion earlier than most guests had purposely waited for the room to fill up before he took his place at his table. He already knew the idiot who punched him would be there, and he also knew the idiot would be looking for him. And when Zaki saw him enter the room, Zaki knew Sunako would be there was well. He was even ready to head straight to her and annoy the idiot by flirting with her. What he wasn't ready for was seeing Sunako who looked different from what she looked like two years ago. And he wasn't ready to see her smile – and this was the first time he ever saw her smile. He hated to admit it but Sunako did look good. "So that's why that idiot acted that way." He gave a small laugh. This was going to be good. And he knew he'd be enjoying ever minute of it. When he saw her sit at her table, he made sure the idiot saw him walk towards her. Thanks to Suzu, his plan was about to take place. It didn't take much to convince Suzu to seat him at the table where Sunako was going to sit. He knew she'd agree to let him be at Sunako's table, especially since he told her how _sorry_ he was about what he did to her friend. _All he wanted was to make it up to Sun-chan for all the hurt he caused her_. He laughed at the idea, knowing full well that Suzu wanted him and Sunako to get together. He couldn't even hide his amusement at how excited she was when he told her the reason.

'_Zaki that is so sweet of you. I'm sure Sun-chan would be pleased to see you again!'_

He laughed again, and finally made his way to the blue table. He approached Sunako and pulled the chair beside her. "Hello, is this seat taken?"

It looked like she was lost in thought because she didn't even realize he was already in front of her. "Nakahara…" he spoke again.

She froze when she saw him. He saw her clench her fists and he was scared to see how she would react when she saw him. He was expecting her to say something, and when she didn't, he sat down. "Sun-chan. We meet again."

---

Sunako wasn't ready to see Zaki so soon. The last thing she wanted was to see him again, let alone share the same table with him. It was a good thing Suzu would be sitting with her at the table. Already she could feel the tension building up inside her. _Don't faint. Don't faint._ She kept telling herself over and over again. Her eyes turned to Zaki at last. It had been two years since she saw him again, much less this close. She was already expecting her nose to bleed, but the funny thing was, it didn't. It was probably due to her living with the radiant creatures that she became immune to Zaki's charm.

"You don't remember who I am, Sun-chan?" he asked her.

"Zaki." This was the only thing Sunako was able to reply.

"I guess I deserve it if you don't want to talk to me…" Zaki moved closer, looking into her eyes. "Which is the reason why I wanted to be seated at your table. I wanted the chance to make up for the hurt I caused you two years ago…"

_The hurt I caused you two years ago…_ It only took those words to open up the old wounds she thought she'd forgotten. And before she could stop herself, tears started forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sun-chan. I never meant what I said two years ago. I was stupid…" Zaki began, but before he was able to finish what he was saying, Sunako had already left her seat and him.

---

Kyohei never let Zaki leave his sight. And when he saw Zaki take a seat beside Sunako, he didn't understand what he was feeling at that moment. He didn't even know why he was so pissed. All he wanted to do was punch Zaki again. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by voices behind his back. "Who's that guy seated beside, Sunako-chan?" Yuki, Ranmaru and Takenaga had arrived at the reunion at last.

Kyohei gave a grunt to Yuki's question which caused Ranmaru to snicker. "Probably an admirer. Sunako-chan _does_ look very beautiful tonight. I doubt any of her old classmates know it's her," he turned to Kyohei. "Jealous much?"

"Why should I care? She can handle herself." Kyohei replied in annoyance.

Takenaga gave a small smile. Kyohei was always so easy to read. "I think that's not the reason why Kyohei's upset."

Ranmaru's eyes widened. "Eh? Then why is he acting like he is?"

Before any of the guys were able to reply, they saw Sunako stand up and walk away from her table. "What happened to Sunako-chan?" Yuki was the first to speak out. Ranmaru and Takenaga were about to say something until they saw Kyohei with a clouded expression on his face.

"Zaki." Kyohei had reached his limit. Before he knew what he was doing, he was already walking towards Sunako's table ready to punch Zaki. He was stopped by the three who each grabbed hold of him.

"Easy, Kyohei. We're not in Mori High. This is not our territory. Plus, if we cause a scene it might affect Sunako-chan. This is _her_ reunion, not ours. That and the Landlady will kill us if we do something rash." Takenaga reasoned out.

"I warned him not to call her ugly…" Kyohei was already seeing red. And if the others hadn't held him back he literally would have throttled Zaki.

Just then, Ranmaru squeezed Kyohei's shoulder. "Look. He's standing up and going to the direction she's going. I think we'd better follow."

---

Sunako couldn't understand what she was feeling. All she wanted was to see Hiroshi-kun. But she couldn't leave the reunion, she knew Suzu wouldn't let her. But she couldn't just sit with Zaki either. The only thing she could do was head straight to the empty place behind the curtain she had spotted while she was frantically looking for a different exit.

'_Sanctuary. This will do.'_ Sunako thought to herself. She hid herself behind the curtain, and buried her face in her hands. All the painful memories came crashing down on her.

_I hate ugly girls_.

She could hear the voice in her head again and she tried her best not to scream. Suddenly, she heard someone approach her. She gave out a small sigh, hoping that it wasn't one of the radiant beings.

"Sun-chan…" the voice said.

Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but look up to see who it was. She never expected it to be, but it was. "What are you doing here?" she heard herself say.

"Sun-chan, are you crying?" Zaki looked at her, unsure whether or not he should approach her. "Look, I told Suzu to seat me at your table because I wanted to make up for the mean thing I said to you two years ago."

"You hate ugly girls." Sunako replied which took Zaki by surprise.

"I didn't mean to say those things to you." Zaki paled. It looked like his plan was having some problems. Just then, something caught his eye. "Say, you like skulls, right? I, uh, saw a pair of earrings that will match the necklace you're wearing."

It looked like he said the magic words, because suddenly, Sunako's eyes lit up. "Really?"

He smiled. "Yes, really. And I'll buy them for you to make up for all the hurt I caused you two years ago." He held out his hand. "What do you say? The dances have started and I'd like very much to dance with you."

She looked at his extended hand hesitantly.

"Don't worry. After the party, we'll buy the earrings. But only if you'll dance with me…"

"Ok…" she replied, finally taking his hand.

---

Meanwhile, the four _radiant creatures_ followed Zaki who had gone to where Sunako hid herself. "This is getting exciting." Ranmaru exclaimed.

"Shut up, Ranmaru. They're not supposed to hear us." Kyohei said in annoyance.

Just then, they saw Zaki leave the curtain, and to their surprise, saw him holding Sunako's hand.

"What the…what just happened in there?!" Yuki looked at the two in confusion.

They watched Zaki and Sunako head straight to the dance floor. All their jaws dropped as they saw Zaki wrap his arm around Sunako's waist.

"Looks like the dancing has started…" Takenaga replied, just to break the silence.

Ranmaru watched Kyohei intently, wanting to see his reaction. "Yeah. And it looks like they're getting along pretty well…"

Kyohei gave a grunt. "Who cares if she wants to make the same mistake again? I'm going to the buffet table to get a bite to eat." With that he left the three and headed straight to the buffet table.

"Looks like someone's not liking what's going on…" Takenaga spoke up, watching Kyohei's retreating back.

END OF CHAPTER SEVEN


	8. Chapter 8: This Thing Called Love

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

Author's Note:

Hope you guys like it ^_^

--

**CHAPTER 8: THIS THING CALLED LOVE**

What the hell was she doing? Kyohei couldn't understand what was going on inside Sunako's head. He was at the buffet table, stuffing himself with all the food he could possibly eat.

"Who cares if she wants to make the same mistake again?" he said to no one in particular. His eyes never left the two as they walked towards the dance floor. "Pretty soon she'll break into a nosebleed and he'll probably just leave her there…and that'll serve her right for going back to him. Stupid Sunako."

But as he watched her dance with Zaki, he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. Was Sunako _actually smiling_ while she was dancing with Zaki? He recalled the last time he and Sunako danced together. The result was not a pretty sight as he recalled that she had to wear a blindfold to keep from fainting. And when the blindfold came off, so did the geyser of blood come gushing from her nose. Yes, Sunako had been a pain in the ass as far as he was concerned. He could feel his heart beating in a not so normal way as he watched Zaki hold Sunako close. Would she push Zaki away? Sunako never liked anyone holding her. And then it hit him…hard.

Sunako was actually dancing with Zaki, allowing him to be with her, allowing him to hold her. And she could look him in the eyes without breaking into nosebleeds or fainting.

"Hey, Kyohei. Stop finishing all the food." It was Takenaga who broke through Kyohei's thoughts.

"Where are the others?" Kyohei asked him, trying to avoid the inevitable question he knew Takenaga would ask him.

"Ranmaru's off flirting with the girls here as usual. Yuki on the other hand is talking to Suzu-chan. So, what're you up to aside from stuffing yourself like there's no tomorrow?"

He gave a quiet grunt. "I'm waiting for her to do something crazy like she always does. Zaki is bad news. I have a feeling he's up to something."

Takenaga turned his gaze to Zaki and Sunako. "Well, like you said before, she can handle herself. And I think she's actually having a good time. Maybe Zaki _is_ the key to turning her into a lady. Just think, Kyohei, if all goes well, the landlady won't have to push you to be with Sunako and we'll finally be rent-free. Isn't that a win-win situation for you?" Takenaga looked at him curiously.

"Whatever." Kyohei didn't say anything else but kept his gaze focused on the two dancing. It looked like Zaki really was the one who could turn her into a lady. He knew he should be happy, that meant free rent, didn't it? But somehow, the thought of her turning into a lady because of Zaki didn't sound so good.

---

'_Focus, Sunako. Think of the skull earrings. All you have to do is concentrate, don't look into his eyes and pretend that you're dancing with Hiroshi-kun.' _Sunako kept reminding herself. If it weren't for those earrings she would have easily run away from Zaki. Being with him was the last thing she wanted, and yet there she was all because of her stupid greed. Ah, but to find earrings to match her skull necklace…Sunako couldn't help but smile at the thought. "Do it for the earrings." Sunako said over and over, emitting that usual dark vibe that appeared every time she got excited.

Zaki could feel the vibe she was sending and couldn't help but shiver. She really was a creepy girl. _'Think of the plan, Zaki. You'll get your revenge. And she'll finally be out of your hair for good.'_ It looked like Sunako was still into him, and he knew she was probably chanting something in her mind for him to fall in love with her. He laughed at the thought. As if that would ever happen.

Suddenly, she stopped dancing. "I danced with you. I want the earrings."

He paled. "Oh, yeah. Uh, about that…." Damn, he had to think of an excuse about the earrings. It looked like that really _was_ the reason she agreed to dance with him. "…I think the store's probably closed already so why don't we just go there tomorrow?" He had to find a way to ditch Sunako. There was no way he was spending the entire night with her at the reunion. His eyes turned away and saw the idiot watching them. "Yeah, let's meet tomorrow. Then I'll _buy_ them for you." He gave a wink and left her at the dance floor.

Zaki didn't even look back, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Being with Sunako really was such a huge effort. She may have changed how she looked like, but she was still as scary as ever. "Scary as ever." Zaki said to no one in particular as he walked towards the table where Mido sat waiting for him.

He didn't even reach the table because someone blocked his way.

"What are you up to, Zaki? I know you're up to no good. And I can't let you do anything to hurt Sunako-chan again." It was the idiot again. And it looked like he was pissed that Zaki danced with Sunako.

"Why? She wasn't complaining, was she?" he gave an evil grin.

"She's my friend and if you ever do something to hurt her again, I swear you'll pay."

"Relax. I actually _like_ being with her. In fact, I'm seeing her tomorrow…" he looked at Kyohei who was already fueled with rage. "…if you don't believe me, ask _Sun-chan_ where she's going tomorrow and who she's going to be with. Zaki knew he had hit a nerve because Kyohei didn't say anything else and let him through.

---

"I hate that guy. Stupid Sunako. If she wants to make the same mistakes again, I don't care." Kyohei, after being dragged away from the buffet table by Yuki and Takenaga, sat on their table and continued to stuff himself with the fried shrimp he filled his plate with.

"Kyohei, I think Sunako-chan is happy with what's going on. After all, Zaki was her first love. I heard from Suzu-chan that she really loved him. Don't you want her to be happy?" Yuki looked at Kyohei worriedly.

"He's up to no good and I know it." Kyohei replied stubbornly.

"But, Kyohei, didn't you say you didn't care about Sunako-chan? Why are you all pissed at her all of a sudden?" Takenaga gave Yuki a knowing smile.

Kyohei didn't say anything at all and tossed his jacket aside. "I'm going to get some air. Call me when the program starts." With that he left the two to watch his retreating back.

Takenaga picked up Kyohei's jacket which had fallen from the chair when Kyohei tossed it. A small envelope fell from its pocket. "What the…" When he tried picking the envelope up, a photo fell from inside it. Takenaga's eyes widened when he realized whose picture it was.

"Takenaga, what is that?" Yuki asked as he saw Takenaga pick the photo up.

"Kyohei's been hiding something from us, Yuki. And I guess he hasn't realized it yet, or he's still too stubborn to admit it." He handed Yuki the photo.

"Why, it's a picture of Sunako-chan two years ago!"

---

"_Is that Nakahara Sunako?"_

Sunako could hear several voices talking about her as she sat alone at her table. At first she tried to ignore it, but already there were too many people talking behind her back. She hoped they would stop talking about her, she had always hated the attention. Little did she know, she'd be hearing a lot more talking when her name was called. The program had started and after several students came up the stage to say their greetings, the emcee called out Sunako's name. "Nakahara, Sunako."

She couldn't stop herself from shivering. Slowly she walked to the center of the room, towards the stage where the emcee had called her. She couldn't lift her head, wanting to melt on the spot. "H…he…hello… thank you for inviting me to attend the reunion." She bowed to everyone in the room and was about to say a something else until she heard the voices again.

"_After two years she decided to show her face again?"_

"_I heard about her and Zaki…that must have hurt pretty badly."_

"_Well she deserved it. She's so scary and weird!"_

"_I remember how _ugly_ she was…"_

The voices grew louder and louder. Her eyes widened and she couldn't stop quivering.

"Stop talking about her!" Sunako heard a loud voice say. It was Suzu-chan's.

Before she knew what she was doing, Sunako ran from the stage, tears blurring her vision. She didn't know where she was going and hoped it was straight to the exit of the ballroom. However she wasn't able to reach the door because she bumped into something hard. A hand grabbed hers and she was pulled away from the exit, away from all the people in the ballroom and into a dark area near the terrace.

"Here." A voice said, and something was dropped in the palm of her hands. It was John, her friend skull.

"Hiroshi was too big to bring so you'll have to settle for that." The voice spoke again.

She squinted her eyes, trying to get used to the darkness to see who was with her. "Thanks." Sunako told the voice, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"You shouldn't have come. I knew this would happen." The voice was closer now, so close that Sunako was already able to see who it was. And when she found out, she fainted.

"I knew _this_ would happen, too. You really are a pain, Sunako Nakahara. But you're my friend, too." Kyohei sighed and carried her in his arms.

---

Sunako woke up and found herself in her room covered with her favorite black curtain. She rubbed her forehead, wondering how she ended up back in her room. When she tossed the curtain aside, she realized she was still wearing the pink dress, which was now covered in blood. Beside her lay John the skull and her best friend Hiroshi-kun. She was about to leave her bed and head out when she heard someone speak.

"So you're finally awake. You cause way too much trouble, you know."

It was the voice of the radiant creature. Sunako frowned. "What are you doing here?" It was a good thing it was dark, it saved her from fainting and bursting into another nosebleed.

"You could at least say 'thank you'. I could have easily left you at the reunion where everyone else was talking about you." Kyohei replied from the darkness.

"I didn't ask you to help me." Sunako replied stubbornly.

"Stubborn as always." Kyohei rolled his eyes. He had been meaning to ask her about what Zaki told him, but he couldn't find the exact words to say them. "Hey, uh, I saw you with a guy a while ago. It looked like you were having fun."

Her eyes widened. "Yeah."

He hadn't expected that reaction but he prodded on. "You going to see him again?"

"Yeah." Came the same reply.

It looked like Zaki was telling the truth and Kyohei hated him for it. "Just so you know, you're not ugly. You never were. Zaki was stupid to have told you that two years ago." He fished the photo from his jacket pocket. "Take a good look at yourself. That guy wasn't worth your tears. He's not even worth anything."

She didn't reply but picked up the photo Kyohei dropped on her lap. It was a picture of her back in junior high, a picture of her when she was about to tell Zaki her feelings. How in the world did he get a copy of it? "Get that away from me!" she screamed.

Kyohei snatched the photo away before she could rip it to shreds. "You don't get it, do you?" he groaned and headed towards the door. "Fine. Do whatever you want. Just don't expect me to always be there when something bad happens."

---

The next day, Sunako didn't feel like going out anymore. All she could think of was how the radiant creature got a hold of her hideous picture. She could feel her beloved darkness enveloping her, trying to comfort her, but it seemed as though the radiant creature had put an invisible shield around her to stop the darkness from coming in. "Hiroshi-kun…bring me back to the darkness!" she cried out to her best friend.

_The radiant one was only trying to help you, Sunako-chan._

She shook her head. "A creature of the darkness cannot be saved by a creature of the light. It is like destroying the rule of nature! The will of God!"

_Don't you think he's right about Zaki-kun?_

"They are of the same…" she stopped herself, not knowing if it was right to consider Zaki as part of the radiant creature's kind. She shook her head again. "No…he is not one of them…but…" she covered her face in her hands. "…he…understands what I like…"

_They are just skull earrings, Sunako-chan. Do not forget that he broke your heart and called you 'ugly'._

"But Hiroshi-kun, he is the reason why I was welcomed to the darkness. If it weren't for him, then I wouldn't be here with my best friends Hiroshi-kun, Josephine, Akira-kun and John."

Suddenly, a different voice overshadowed that of Hiroshi-kun's and Sunako could hear Kyohei's voice, could remember his last words.

_Take a good look at yourself. That guy wasn't worth your tears. He's not even worth anything._

END OF CHAPTER EIGHT


	9. Chapter 9: Of Skulls and Second Chances

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long wait!

--

**CHAPTER 9: OF SKULLS AND SECOND CHANCES**

Kyohei was in a bad mood. He didn't know why and he refused to think about it. Ranmaru, who was his roommate at the hotel, couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he watched Kyohei pace back and forth in the room mumbling something he couldn't quite put a finger on. "When you're tired of pacing back and forth, why don't you tell me what's bothering you? Your mood is ruining the air," Ranmaru sighed, brushing back his red bangs. "Honestly, if I'd known you'd be an annoying roommate, I would have just shared with Yuki or Takenaga."

"I'm going out." Kyohei muttered.

Just then someone knocked on the door. Kyohei opened it and found Takenaga and Yuki outside looking at him worriedly. "Kyohei…" Yuki began.

Kyohei gave a grunt and headed out the door.

"What's up with him?" Yuki asked Ranmaru who still hadn't left his seat.

"He's been like that all day. Pacing back and forth like a lunatic. What exactly happened last night?" Ranmaru asked the other two.

"You don't know because you were busy flirting with the girls from Sunako-chan's class!" Yuki accused him.

Takenaga sighed and leaned against the wall. "Kyohei's been acting strange lately. And I think it's because of Zaki."

"Why? Shouldn't he be happy that the two are finally getting along? After all, Zaki was Sunako-chan's first love." Yuki looked at Takenaga curiously.

Ranmaru shook his head and laughed. "Yuki, Yuki… so naïve…" He rose from his chair and raised his hands to the air. "You are too blind to see that our beloved Kyohei…he who has been so blind to his feelings…is slowing beginning to realize that he does not want his beloved Sunako-chan to go back to the arms of Zaki…who is now his arch-rival for her affections."

Takenaga chuckled at Ranmaru's speech. "Actually, Yuki…remember what Kyohei said? He just thought Zaki was bad news."

"He's bad news because he's Kyohei's competition!" Ranmaru gave a loud sigh as though to prove that his reasoning was correct.

Takenaga shrugged. "Well, why don't we ask Kyohei his reasons for thinking Zaki's bad news?"

---

Kyohei didn't know why he was acting the way he was. All he knew was that Zaki was up to something…and that something was not good. The only thing he didn't understand was what Zaki's reasons were for _pursuing_ Sunako. Surely it wasn't because he _liked_ her. Just then, he heard voices coming from the hallway of the hotel.

"Miki-chan, are you busy today? Maybe you'd like to grab a bite to eat with me…" a familiar voice said.

"Oh, Zaki-kun!" the girl replied.

Kyohei's temper flared. Wasn't the jerk meeting Sunako today? Then why was he asking another girl out? "This guy's worse than Ranmaru…" he muttered under his breath. He wanted to hit Zaki then and there. He didn't have to wait to make his presence known, however, since Zaki spotted him.

"You! What are you doing here?" Zaki asked in surprise.

"I could say the same thing to you," Kyohei shot back. "I thought you had a date with Sunako-chan."

Zaki laughed. "Miki-chan. Let's meet some other time, okay? I had forgotten that I had other things to take care of," He gave the confused girl a pat on the shoulder and watched her walk away. When she was out of earshot, Zaki turned his attention to Kyohei. "Was that today? I _completely _forgot about my date with Sun-chan! Thanks for reminding me!" he looked at Kyohei, smiling slyly.

"Did you forget or did you have no plans of seeing her today?" Kyohei replied angrily. He grabbed Zaki by the collar.

Zaki pushed him away. "Easy, tiger. I wonder what Sun-chan would say if she found out that the _reason_ why I wasn't able to make it was because you _scared_ me away."

"Do anything to hurt her and you're dead." Kyohei warned him.

"Do anything to me and you'll regret it," Zaki shot him an angry look. "No one messes with Zaki Shinomori. No one." With that, he left Kyohei speechless.

---

Was he really coming? Sunako wanted to hit herself for hoping that he would. All for a pair of stupid earrings. She shook her head. No…those skull earrings were not stupid. They were perfect for the necklace the radiant creatures gave her. But somehow, something didn't feel right. Something was stopping her from being completely content. Was it because of what the radiant creature told her?

_Take a good look at yourself. That guy wasn't worth your tears. He's not even worth anything._

She had to admit, she was a bit tempted to look into the mirror to see whether or not the radiant creature's words were true. But that would mean seeing her face again…seeing the face she dreaded to see…her own face…the face Zaki called ugly.

Zaki.

He wasn't worth her tears, the radiant one had told her. Not even worth anything. And yet…something was stopping her. Instinctively, she moved a hand to her cheek and found that, for the first time since she remembered the dreaded memory of Zaki, no tears stained her face.

Suddenly, she heard someone knocking on her door. She sighed, praying that it wasn't the radiant creature, knowing full well that although she never liked having him invade her privacy, she wasn't ready to face him…not with what he told her last night. She opened the door just enough for her to see who was at the door.

"Hello, Sun-chan!"

It was Zaki. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Then she remembered the skull earrings. She knew she would have to act nice to him if she wanted the earrings.

"He…hello…" she managed to say.

He gave a weak smile. "We…er…were supposed to go somewhere right?"

Her face lit up. "The skull earrings…" Suddenly she stopped herself. Damn, she was supposed to act like she wasn't too excited about it. He might get the wrong impression, she reminded herself.

"Oh, yeah. About those…" He fished inside his pockets. "These were hard to get. You owe me a date for these."

"A date?" she looked at him curiously. Date… she cringed at the idea. Suddenly, she had a flashback of the first time she went out on a _date._ And it was with that radiant creature…

---

"_This is a date? No it can't be!" Sunako shook her head in disbelief and annoyance._

"_Whatever. The important thing is we had fun right?" Kyohei groaned. He slipped his hand into the fountain and aimed at Sunako's head._

"_Ow! That went into my eye!" she yelled, wanting to throttle him. Instead, she shoved both her hands into the fountain and began shoving water towards Kyohei._

_He laughed. "No fair!" He began to fight back, shoving water back her way till they both got wet._

_---_

"Yeah. Tonight at seven if you're fine with that. We should meet at the playground… you do know where it is, right?" Zaki told Sunako, interrupting her thoughts.

The playground? She knew she'd regret it if she set foot there again. "Okay…" she heard herself say instead.

Suddenly, someone pushed the door open. "Sunako-chan!"

It was the radiant creature. What the hell was he doing here? "Get out of here." It was hard enough that she just had a flashback about him, and now that he was here, she could feel her defenses start to crumble.

Zaki didn't seem to mind the radiant creature barging in on them. He gave Sunako a smile, the smile that used to bring her to her knees. He took her hand, aware that Kyohei was watching them intently. "Seven o'clock at the playground then. Don't be late." He waved and walked out of the door, leaving her and Kyohei.

Kyohei was the one to break the silence. "Playground?"

"I thought I told you to get out of here." Sunako yelled at him.

"Didn't I tell you he was bad news? I don't think you should go."

"Mind your own business." Sunako warned him. She hoped he would just go away, already she could feel blood trickling down her nose. She also knew that if he stopped her from going, she'd never get the earrings.

"You're so stubborn. You'll get into trouble, of that I'm certain."

"I can take care of myself. Please leave."

He groaned again. "You're really more trouble than what you're worth. I can't believe I'm even helping you when you don't even listen to me. Fine. Do what you if I care." He slammed the door behind him.

---

"I can't believe she's going out with him again!" Kyohei groaned for the nth time. "Doesn't she know that he's just leading her on? What has he been saying to her that she keeps believing all that he says?" If it weren't for him, Zaki wouldn't have visited Sunako at all. Now they had another date? Should he see what Zaki was up to? Or should he just let Sunako find out what a jerk Zaki was for herself? He opened the door to his hotel room, hoping that Takenaga and Yuki already left and that Ranmaru went out on a date with one of the girls he met at Sunako's reunion.

Unfortunately for him, this wasn't the case. Not only were Yuki and Takenaga still in his room, Ranmaru was inside as well, along with two other unexpected people…the landlady and Noi.

"Kyohei!" Noi greeted him.

He grunted in reply.

"Is that any way to greet your guests?" The landlady shook her head. "Here I was thinking I'd surprise you, and you greet us with a grunt."

"What are you two doing here anyway?" Kyohei asked the two.

Noi smiled and floated to Takenaga's side, taking his arm. "When I found out Lady Nakahara was going to Hokkaido, I thought I'd come along and see Sunako's old school."

Kyohei laughed. "More likely, you wanted to see Takenaga and make sure no one tried to flirt with him."

Noi's reply was a cold stare. The landlady, however, gave Kyohei a pat on the shoulder. "Ranmaru and the others told me everything. Poor dear, you must be heartbroken to see Sunako choose her first love over you." She sighed, clasping her hands together and looking at the ceiling. "But first love never dies, and I'm sorry that you had to suffer a broken heart by seeing them together again…"

"But…" Kyohei began.

"…but don't lose hope, Kyohei! There is still a way to get her back. You have to fight for your love!" She pointed a finger at him. "Tell my darling Sunako-chan how you feel! Who knows? She might realize that the one she loves is YOU after all!" Both she and Noi stared at Kyohei dreamily.

"Sunako-chan is the one for you, Kyohei! Fight for her!"

He groaned. There was no use explaining himself to the two since they were already caught up in their own version of his and Sunako's "love". He turned to the others for support only to end up getting disappointed since Takenaga was silently laughing at him, Yuki was nodding in agreement and Ranmaru was busy feeding the two girls lines like, "I told Kyohei to not be afraid of telling Sunako-chan how he felt about her."

"Whatever. She's seeing him tonight at some playground." Kyohei managed to say. It looked like he caught Yuki's attention because suddenly, Yuki fell silent.

"He's meeting her there? But…isn't that where he called her 'ugly'?" Yuki turned to Takenaga. "Suzu-chan told me all about how Sunako gave Zaki a letter to meet her at the playground…"

"Maybe it's because he wants to make a better memory of their time there…" Ranmaru shook his head. "You'd better hurry, Kyohei. Zaki might beat you to Sunako-chan's heart.

Kyohei's eyes widened. That idiot. What was he planning? He turned to Yuki. "Yuki, you told me you've been to the gift shop to look for souvenirs, right? Tell me where it is. I need to buy something there."

"Er, okay. Though I hardly think this is the time to go shopping. I can take you there now if you like."

"No. I can do this by myself. Just ask Suzu-chan where the playground is for me, will you?"

"Okay. The store is to the left of the lobby. But Kyohei…" Yuki began, but as soon as told he Kyohei were to find the store, Kyohei rushed outside.

Takenaga gave the others a knowing smile. It looked like Kyohei was already close to realizing his feelings.

END CHAPTER NINE


	10. Chapter 10: Radiant Creatures

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

Author's Note:

To make up for the long wait! Enjoy!

--

**CHAPTER 10: RADIANT CREATURES**

Two years ago, he received a letter from her.

"_Zaki-kun,_

_Please meet me after school at the playground by the swings. I have something to tell you._

_Sunako Nakahara."_

_When Zaki first received the letter, he wondered what Sunako Nakahara looked like. She was definitely from his class, he knew, but which girl in his class, he didn't know. He was too engrossed with his soccer practices to pay any attention to the girls in his class. None of them were his taste so why bother? But her letter intrigued him, especially since this wasn't the first time he heard her name. He had received many things from her, but she never made herself known. And since graduation was days away, he wondered whether or not he'd see her after junior high. He'd never fallen in love, never even gave love a single thought. But maybe, he'd think about it once he saw what she looked like._

_Then he spotted her…the girl who gave the letter…the girl…Sunako Nakahara. His eyes widened. That was _her?! _He groaned. This was not happening. She couldn't be the one, could she? She wasn't even pretty. He hoped she was just lost or something. But already she was walking towards him._

"_Zaki-kun…"_

"_Sunako Nakahara?" he asked her, hoping she'd say 'no'._

_However, the girl nodded, bowing her head._

_He moved towards the wall and leaned against it. "So what did you have to tell me?"_

"_I…I've liked you since Junior High…" she began._

_His eyes widened. There was no way she thought he'd return her feelings, did she? She was so ugly, there was no way he'd learn to like her. "I hate ugly girls."_

_When he uttered those words, she didn't say anything else. She simply bowed and walked away._

_A few days later, after junior high graduation, he heard that she changed schools. There was talk about how she told him what she felt and how he rejected her. Some students took her side, some took his._

"_That was so mean, Zaki-kun!"_

"_Served her right, Zaki. She was a weird one."_

"_Was that why she changed schools?"_

Talk about how he broke Sunako's heart never died down, and continued till the class reunion. When he found out she was coming, he dreaded the day he'd see her again. He knew she'd still be as scary as ever and he also wondered whether she'd try talking to him again.

And she did. And he never expected to see her looking different from what she looked like two years ago. She was still as scary as ever, but he had to admit that she looked better than when he last saw her. Mido and the others teased him about how she looked at the reunion and how she'd try to win his affections again. He laughed at the idea. Like that would ever happen. He didn't fall in love with her two years ago, he had no plans of falling in love with her at all. All he wanted was to get her out of his life for good. And that was about to happen. Soon…

He also had to admit that the jerk was making it easy for him to carry out his plans for Sunako. Did the jerk even realize his own feelings? He doubted that. Maybe he was even doing the jerk a favor, but what Zaki wanted to do first was teach him a lesson. The jerk didn't want to see Sunako cry, eh? Well Zaki wouldn't give him that satisfaction. Sunako would cry all right. And the jerk would be there to see it happen.

---

"Ten boxes? You must really like her to buy her that much!" the cashier told Kyohei as he packed all the items Kyohei bought.

Kyohei didn't answer but picked up the plastic bag which held the boxes. His eyes darted to the clock on the wall. Damn, it was nearing seven o'clock already. He didn't have much time. He couldn't even go back to the hotel room. "Where's the nearest playground?" he asked the clerk.

The clerk looked at him in confusion. "Meeting your lady love there? That's a bit tricky. There are three playgrounds in the area."

Kyohei groaned. Just his luck. He'd have to check each playground to see which one was Sunako and Zaki's meeting place. "Thanks."

"Good luck, mister. I hope she realizes how much trouble you're going through just for her!" The clerk called out to Kyohei's retreating back.

---

Was she coming? Zaki wondered. He hoped she would. He'd finally be able to put an end to everything. He knew what he was about to do was harsh, but he couldn't wait to see how the jerk would react once he realizes what Zaki intended to do with Sunako. He had intentionally repeated where he and Sunako were meeting, because he knew the jerk would come looking for them. "No one messes with Zaki Shinomori." Zaki spoke to no one in particular. That ought to teach the jerk to mind his own business. He looked at the earrings that were in the palm of his hand. He didn't have to buy them, but it was the least he could do to _make up_ for what he was about to do to Sunako. He laughed. A pair of skull earrings was all it took to make Sunako do what he wanted. Then he saw her walking towards him. He stood up from the swing he was sitting on to meet her. He had to admit that the night made her look quite appealing. Then again, because she was such a scary girl, the night probably fit her best.

"Hello, Sun-chan."

She didn't reply. She was probably waiting for him to hand her the earrings. He knew it wasn't time. The jerk wasn't here yet. He had to stall her till the jerk arrived.

"Remember this place, Sun-chan?" he asked, moving from the swings to the wall.

Sunako winced at his words. Remember this place? How could she ever forget? She rubbed her shoulders, trying to erase the memory of what happened at that particular spot…where he was leaning. "I…I want the earrings…you promised…" She eyed him curiously. "Did you plan on breaking that promise? I came here because of the earrings…not because of you." Was the radiant creature right about Zaki?

He paled. Was he seeing right through her? No, it couldn't be. "I'll give them to you if you let me help you put them on."

She sighed. Must she do so much for a pair of earrings? She was beginning to get tired of the whole thing. But when her eyes saw the earrings on his extended palm, her eyes twinkled again. "Okay."

He leaned close to her ear. "Wonderful."

---

After this day, Kyohei swore he'd hate playgrounds. Why were they too hard to find? He had already been to two of the three playgrounds but he hadn't spotted them yet. Could it be possible that he was too late? He hoped that they'd be there at the last playground. He ran towards it and saw her. Saw them. Zaki was leaning towards Sunako's ear. Was Zaki going to say what Kyohei dreaded he'd say to her? That was too horrible but Zaki was a jerk after all. Before he knew what he was doing, he found himself running towards them.

"Sunako-chan!" he cried out.

They both turned. Sunako looked at him, her eyes widened. "What are you doing here?! Didn't I tell you to mind your own business?"

Zaki grabbed her hand. "Forget about him. There's something I have to tell you, Sunako-chan." His eyes turned to Kyohei. An evil grin passed his lips. Sunako didn't seem to hear him so Zaki leaned closer. "I hate…" However, Zaki wasn't able to finish his sentence because Kyohei suddenly spoke up.

"I like you."

The two looked at Kyohei in amazement, both thinking the same thing. Did I hear that right? Both of them thought to themselves. Both remained speechless.

Kyohei grabbed Sunako's arm. "I like you. I don't think you're ugly. You're beautiful. Sunako-chan, I…" He didn't know what he was saying. All he knew was that he had to say something to keep Zaki from calling Sunako ugly again. He knew Zaki was going to hurt her and there was no way he was letting that happen. However, the response he received from Sunako wasn't quite what he expected.

"I hate radiant beings."

Kyohei looked at her, eyes widened in shock at what she just said to him. He stared at her, not knowing what to say, how to act. He half-expected, half-hoped that she'd hit him, like she usually did whenever he teased her or tried to get close. He even expected her to get a massive nosebleed, and was surprised to see her, standing there, watching him. Apparently, she was as shocked as he was at what she just said because she stared back. And before Kyohei could say anything else, she ran away.

Kyohei's eyes blazed and he grabbed Zaki by the collar, wanting so badly to beat him to a pulp. Zaki broke the silence. It looked like he didn't have to do anything to teach the jerk a lesson because Sunako did just that for him. However, he couldn't resist having the last laugh. "Here you are trying to win her from me but getting rejected in the process. All it took from me was a pair of skull earrings to get her to do what I asked of her. Pathetic."

The next thing Zaki received was a hard punch on the face from Kyohei. Zaki stumbled on the ground because of the hard impact and it took some effort for him to stand up. And when he did, he glared at Kyohei, rubbing his bruised jaw.

"You really are pathetic. Apparently, she loves me, not you. I don't think I'm what she calls a 'radiant being'. And I don't think she hates _me_ either. I wonder who she was referring to?" He laughed. "I hate radiant beings. That's _you_ isn't it?"

END CHAPTER TEN


	11. Chapter 11: Chocolates and Broken Hearts

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

Author's Note:

Thanks for all your reviews. I really appreciate them! All I can say is please look forward to the next chapter. There might be a "surprise".

--

**CHAPTER 11: CHOCOLATES AND BROKEN HEARTS**

_I hate radiant beings._

He couldn't believe he just heard her say that.

He couldn't believe he'd be upset at her saying that.

He wondered why he was so affected by her words when in truth she was never actually _nice_ to him. She always spoke her mind and would often say mean things to him and he had been used to it.

_Go away. Shut up. Leave me alone. Mind your own business._

Words like those never bothered him in the least. But for her to say that particular thing, and in front of Zaki…it was something he could not stomach.

Was it his pride that got hurt? Was that the reason why he was feeling this way? Or was it because of what he told her and her reaction to his words?

He groaned as he remembered what he told her. _I like you. I don't think you're ugly. You're beautiful. Sunako-chan, I…_

He didn't even finish the sentence. The words just came out. He didn't even know what he was talking about but he knew he had to say something lest Zaki call her 'ugly' again. And he knew that was Zaki's plan. To lure Sunako to where she poured her heart to him two years ago, and to break it again into a million pieces.

_I hate radiant beings. That's _you_ isn't it?_

Zaki had the last laugh this time, and Kyohei didn't like it one bit.

---

Noi paced the room back and forth, occasionally watching the clock to see what time it was. It had been three hours since Kyohei left and all of them were eagerly waiting for his return to find out what happened with Sunako. The landlady had an hour earlier stating, "Poor, Kyohei. I so wanted him for my darling niece. Ah, but you cannot stop love."

"Noi-chi, please sit down. Kyohei's bound to return to his room." Takenaga assured him.

Her eyes flared. "But it's taking so long! How long does that idiot need to tell Sunako-chan how he feels! He should have done it a long time ago!"

"Yeah, I'm beginning to worry, too. Was Kyohei able to find them? I don't like the situation, either. If Zaki told Sunako-chan to meet him at the playground where he broke her heart, could Kyohei be right in thinking that Zaki wanted to break it again?" Yuki looked worried.

Just then, the door opened. Everyone fell silent, hoping it was Kyohei. "Kyohei!" Noi shouted as she saw him enter the room with a bag filled with boxes of chocolates. Her eyes lit up. "Oooohh! You bought her chocolates?"

Apparently, Kyohei was not in a nice mood because he gave Noi a cold stare and tossed the bag on the table. "There's some left if you want any. I'm going out to get a bite to eat." Without another word, he left the room again, leaving the others speechless.

"Apparently, something went wrong." Ranmaru said just to break the silence.

"Ohhh this is killing me!" Noi groaned, grabbing Takenaga's arm. "Take me to Sunako-chan's room! I want to know what happened!" Without even waiting for a response, she dragged Takenaga to take her to Sunako's room.

When they reached Sunako's room, Noi banged on the door. "Sunako-chan! It's me, Noi! Open up! I have something to ask you."

Sunako didn't answer and Noi continued to bang louder. Takenaga grabbed her arm and patted Noi on the head. "Let me handle this, Noi-chi," he smiled and rapped on the door. "Sunako-chan, I have some chocolates I want to get rid of. Would you like to have them?"

As if they were the magic words, the door finally opened. "Chocolates!" Sunako peered outside, her eyes twinkling. "But it's not even White Day…" she looked at him suspiciously.

Noi pushed the door open. "Finally! You can have all the chocolates you want if you answer our questions first."

Sunako's mouth watered as she saw Takenaga show her the bag filled with boxes of chocolates. It was a good thing he managed to grab the bag of chocolates Kyohei left before Noi dragged him out the room. When they were all sitting down, Sunako gave them a huge smile.

"What did you want to ask me?" Clearly she was only interested in the chocolates because she was eyeing them hungrily.

"Sunako-chan, what happened at the playground?" Noi asked her.

That was not the question Sunako expected Noi to ask. Her face paled and she turned away. "Nothing…" Then in an even quieter voice she asked, "How did you know about the playground…?"

Noi folded her arms across her chest. "How I know about the playground is not important. I just wanted to know one thing…" She pointed a finger at Sunako. "What happened with Kyohei at the playground?"

Noi's question caught Sunako off guard again and this time she wanted to shrink in the corner of the room or disappear. "N…nothing…" Already she was sweating as though trying to hide something, which she was never good at doing.

Noi stood up from her chair and paced the room back and forth. Again she pointed at Sunako, and then she pointed on the bag of chocolates on the table. "Didn't you know that Kyohei bought all those boxes of chocolates for you? But apparently he wasn't able to give them to you…which is why Takenaga-kun and I are here. What happened at the playground? Did you choose Zaki over Kyohei?" she sighed, shaking her head. "How could you choose the guy who broke your heart over the guy who's totally in love with you? Then again, Kyohei was never good at expressing how he felt. Plus you two don't get along well. But that's beside the point. You two are meant for each other. So why did you choose Zaki over Kyohei?!"

Sunako bent her head and stood up. "Please go."

Noi was about to say something again, but Takenaga stopped her. "Let me handle this, Noi-chi." He stood up and cleared his through. "Did something happen between you and Kyohei at the playground, Sunako-chan?" He could tell something bad happened because Sunako was acting very strange. He also knew she was hiding something.

"Please go." Sunako said it more firmly.

"Kyohei was very upset when he came back to his room. We all knew he was going to the playground to find you and Zaki. But what puzzles me is why he wanted to find you in the first place. He must have thought something bad would happen and wanted to _help_ you. He bought so many boxes of chocolates and we both know how much you love them." When Sunako still didn't reply, he took Noi's hand and moved to the door. "Let's go, Noi-chi. Apparently, Sunako doesn't want to talk about it. She probably doesn't know why Kyohei was upset. Maybe Kyohei wasn't able to find them at the playground after all."

When Takenaga and Noi reached the door, Sunako finally spoke. "I hate radiant beings." Sunako tried to say it as quietly as she could, but she knew they both heard it. "That's what I told him."

---

"She told him that?!" Yuki and Ranmaru chorused when Noi and Takenaga broke the news to them. It was already midnight and there was still no sign of Kyohei.

"Poor Kyohei, Sunako-chan did to him what Zaki did to her two years ago." Yuki sighed sadly.

"Hey, this isn't the first time Sunako-chan did this to Kyohei. Remember the time she told him that she couldn't live with him? Kyohei ran away remember?" Ranmaru replied, rubbing his chin. "Eventually she sort-of apologized, right? Maybe she just needs a little time…"

"Yes, but this is different, Ranmaru. Sunako actually _did_ to Kyohei what Zaki did to her two years ago. I think Sunako was a bit confused at that time, what with Zaki and Kyohei in front of her. What triggered her to say those words is the thing that puzzles me the most." Takenaga sighed, taking a seat on one of the chairs.

"Poor Kyohei. For the first time I feel sorry for him," Noi said, attempting to pace the room back and forth again. "He bought all those chocolates for her and this is what she repays him."

"Technically, Noi-chi, Sunako didn't know Kyohei bought them for her. I doubt she even knew he'd be there."

"But, Takenaga-kun…I think he was really hurt with what she said. He hasn't even returned to his room, yet."

"Don't worry, Noi. I think the reason why Kyohei hasn't returned is that he knows we'd still be here in his room and attempt to bug him about what happened with Sunako-chan." Yuki assured her.

"You think he realized his feelings for her this time?" Noi asked the three. All of them shrugged their shoulders.

"I wonder…" Takenaga trailed off.

---

She knew she should not have said those words to him.

Did she really mean to say those words? Or was it what he told her that provoked her to say them?

_I like you. I don't think you're ugly. You're beautiful. Sunako-chan, I…_

He was about to say something else but that was the time she stopped him. She clutched her chest. His words definitely affected her. They affected her too much to the point that she said certain things without thinking.

_I hate radiant beings_.

Was that really true? Did she really hate him that much?

_He must have thought something bad would happen and wanted to help you. He bought so many boxes of chocolates and we both know how much you love them._

She closed her eyes wanting to erase the words Takenaga put in her head. But the moment she put those words aside, something else took their place. And these caused her heart to hurt even more. Without thinking, she walked towards the edge of the room and removed the black cloth that covered the mirror hanging on the wall. Her hand quivered as she tugged at the cloth to reveal her reflection in the mirror.

_You're beautiful. Sunako-chan, I…_

Liar. She knew she wasn't beautiful, but the words the radiant creature said made her wish she were. She turned away from the mirror, not wanting to see her ugly face staring back at her.

_I hate radiant beings._

She didn't even see the expression on his face when she said those words to him.

"_Sunako-chan…why did you say such terrible things? You know the radiant creature was only trying to help you." Hiroshi-kun's voice echoed in her ears._

"You're wrong, Hiroshi-kun."

"_Am I really? Or are you really blind to the truth? All this time, he has been helping you. Didn't he save you from your classmates when they made fun of you at your reunion? And wasn't he concerned that Zaki might try to hurt you again so he went to the playground to try to stop that from happening? He even bought chocolates, Sunako-chan. For you. I think he was thinking of ways for you not to get hurt by Zaki again."_

"Stop, stop, stop it!" Sunako screamed.

"_He thinks you're special, Sunako-chan. Didn't he just say so? Why are you treating him so coldly when all he has done is make sure no one hurts you?"_

Sunako-chan fell to her knees. She laughed bitterly and stared at the cold hard floor. Her eyes widened when she realized that the floor was already wet with her tears.

---

Kyohei stared blankly at the door in front of him. He lifted his hand as though to knock but as soon as his knuckle grazed the door, he hesitated.

_I hate radiant creatures._

He clenched his fist instead and pocketed his hand to save himself from doing something stupid again.

_That's _you_ isn't it?_

He could hear Zaki's voice echoing in his ears and hated it. Giving one defeated sigh, he took one last stare at the door and turned away. Head bent, he walked away, hating himself, hating what he was feeling at that moment. He didn't even notice the girl who had been staring at him that whole time.

"Takano-san…" came Suzu's voice. She had been watching him ever since Yuki told her about the incident at the playground, wondering why he had been standing in front of Sunako's door and staring blankly at it before walking away. She moved to the door and knocked several times. When the door opened, she gave a small smile. "Hello, Sunako-chan. May I come in?"

END CHAPTER ELEVEN


	12. Chapter 12: Radiance Is As Radiance Does

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

Author's Note:

Enjoy!

--

**CHAPTER 12: RADIANCE IS AS RADIANCE DOES**

Sunako stared at the girl who was standing outside her door. Of all the people she thought would try to barge into her room, Suzu was the last person she thought of.

"Surprised to see me?" Suzu asked nervously.

Sunako nodded then opened the door wider for Suzu to enter. She sat down on one of the chairs and clasped her hands together, unable to look at her old friend.

Suzu cleared her throat. Her eyes briefly scanned the hotel room, a bit surprised at how dark it was. Apparently, Sunako had covered all the windows with black curtains and never bothered to turn the lights on. Suzu was, however, able to see the plastic bag filled with chocolate boxes left on the table. To break the awkward silence between them, she gave a weak laugh and pointed at the chocolate boxes. "I remember how you used to love chocolates back in Junior high. Remember how they reminded you of the color of Zaki's hair?"

Sunako didn't reply immediately, but Suzu's question brought a smile on her face. "Y…yes. I still love chocolates…"

"Is that why you're saving them for later? They're still unopened."

"I don't want them…" Sunako replied quietly.

"Huh? But I thought you said loved chocolates?"

Sunako fell silent. It was true she loved chocolates to the extent that she'd stuff herself with them until she couldn't eat any more. But somehow, eating chocolates didn't sound as enticing as before. Plus, she couldn't get out of her head the thought that the radiant being bought them for her.

Suzu broke the silence. "Did you buy them for yourself? Or did someone…buy them for you?" Suzu already knew the answer to her questions but she wanted to hear Sunako answer them.

"A…friend bought them." Sunako managed to say.

"Really? That was awfully nice of him to buy you so many chocolates…"

"I don't want them."

"Why not?"

Sunako looked away. "I don't deserve them."

Suzu sighed sadly. "It's getting late, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow. I just wanted to see how you were doing...I…know about the playground and Zaki."

Sunako's eyes widened. Even Suzu knew? Who in the world told her about it? Was it one of the radiant creatures? Was it _him?_ "Nothing happened." Sunako blurted out immediately.

"I don't know what Zaki was up to by bringing you to the place where he broke your heart two years ago. What I do know is that Takano-san was so worried about you, ever since he found out about Zaki. Did you know that he asked me about Zaki? He even asked me what kind of person you were back in Junior High. I gave him a picture of you…"

"It was you who gave him that picture?!" Sunako exclaimed.

"Yes." Suzu bowed and headed for the door. "He cares about you, Sun-chan. He wouldn't be so worried about you if he wasn't…." Suzu gave her a small smile. "Oh, and one more thing…before I knocked on the door, I saw him staring at your door…"

---

_Five hours earlier…_

"Suzu-chan!"

Suzu was walking back to her room after finishing the arrangements of the farewell party that would be held in two days. It was Hinagi's idea to give the farewell party to those who now studied in different schools. And with the incident with Sunako, Suzu felt that this would be a good chance for her to bond with her classmates. After Sunako left the reunion, Suzu gave an ultimatum in front of the stage on her behalf:

"_How could you say such things to Sun-chan? She came all the way here to see us again and you repay her by making fun of her? What kind of friends were you?"_

_She then pointed fingers on the accused. Most of the people in the room fell silent, mainly because this was the first time anyone saw Suzu so angry. Suzu had always been a calm person, and this outburst meant she was at her limit._

"_How would you feel if the one you loved rejected you? Wouldn't you feel hurt and dejected? I suddenly feel happy that Sunako isn't our classmate anymore. Because if she were, we don't deserve to be classmates to her. She treated you as friends before and came all this way to see us again. We should at least think of her feelings."_

_Suzu didn't wait for a reply from any of the people in the room. After HInagi, the organizer of the reunion, stepped up to take charge, Suzu gave a bow and left. She was soon followed by the three boys from the Nakahara household._

"_That was a really nice thing you did for Sunako-chan back there, Suzu-chan!" Yuki gave her a smile._

"_It was the least I could do after what I did. I wasn't actually a friend to Sun-chan, either. She never told us what happened at the playground where she told Zaki she loved him. She just…changed. Became more distant, scarier. She used to worry about her looks all the time because she hoped Zaki wouldn't think she was ugly. After the incident she completely disregarded her appearance. And instead of asking her about what happened, we drove her away."_

"_Suzu-chan..." Takenaga attempted to comfort her._

"_I know I was at fault. Takano-san knocked the sense back into me. Did you know that he actually came looking for me to ask about Zaki-kun?"_

_Ranmaru smiled mischievously. "Ah…so _that's_ how he found out about Zaki. It looks like Kyohei isn't as unaffected as he seems. He looked so jealous while Zaki was dancing with Sunako-chan."_

"_It was Zaki who asked to sit at Sun-chan's table," Suzu replied. Then in a much quieter tone she added, "Does Takano-san like Sun-chan?"  
_

_The three shrugged their shoulders but gave her a knowing smile. "Well, why don't you ask, Kyohei about that, Suzu-chan? Maybe he'll give you a straight answer." Takenaga told her._

"Suzu-chan! I'm glad I caught you." The voice became much clearer now, breaking into Suzu's thoughts.

"Yuki-kun, is there something you need?" Of the four, Suzu was much more at ease with Yuki. Takenaga seemed so serious, Ranmaru too flirtatious and Kyohei was too scary.

Yuki bit his lip. He didn't actually know how to ask Suzu about Zaki and Sunako's meeting place. Kyohei had earlier asked him to ask Suzu where to find it. Kyohei didn't go back to the hotel room, so Yuki assumed Kyohei found it on his own. However, there were things he wanted to know that only Suzu could answer. "I…want to know about the playground…" Yuki began.

Suzu gave a sad smile. "The playground…was where Sunako told Zaki she loved him two years ago. Takano-san asked me about that day, too."

"Kyohei asked about the playground? When?" Yuki asked curiously.

"Before the reunion. He came looking for me asking about Zaki-kun. I was a bit curious why he asked. I even thought they were together or something. He seemed awfully protective of her."

Yuki smiled. "Well, Kyohei was never really one to express his emotions. Actually, Takenaga, Ranmaru and I have constantly bugged him about it. He looked really upset when he saw Zaki and Sunako dancing at the reunion. And when he told us about Sunako meeting Zaki at the playground, he sounded really pissed. He hasn't come back yet so I don't know if he was able to find them."

"Takano-san must really like Sunako-chan, Yuki-kun."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe…but nothing's going to happen if he doesn't admit it to himself first."

---

Sunako wasn't able to get enough sleep that night. She kept thinking of what Suzu told her, how the radiant creature had been standing outside her door last night. Why was he there in the first place? Was he there because he wanted to talk to her? She shivered at the thought. She still wasn't quite ready to speak to him just yet.

_Sunako you're special._

_You don't deserve a guy like him._

_I think you're beautiful._

She groaned. Why couldn't she get his words out of her head.

_I hate radiant beings._

She didn't see his reaction, nor did she stick around for him to reply. But she knew she hurt him. She wouldn't feel this guilty if she hadn't known.

"_You hurt him exactly the way Zaki hurt you two years ago, Sunako-chan." _She could hear Hiroshi-kun speaking to her again.

"What should I do, Hiroshi-kun?"

"_Do you hate him that much, Sunako-chan?"_

She shook her head. "It's not that…"

"_Is that why you're so guilty because you know you hurt his feelings? You should make it up to him, Sunako-chan."_

"But how? How can a creature of darkness console a creature from the light?"

"_I think, Sunako-chan, that is something you have to find out for yourself."_

---

"Wow, Sunako-chan! I didn't know you were planning a feast!" Noi exclaimed. Sunako asked Noi to accompany her the following morning. "Where are we taking all this?" Noi asked her curiously.

Sunako didn't reply and kept walking. She hoped this would make up for what she said. That way she wouldn't feel guilty anymore and eat the chocolates that were left in her room. When they reached the room, Noi gave a wide smile.

"OH! We're going _here_? But we haven't called Takenaga-kun and Yuki to come over yet. If we're going to have a feast, they should be there too."

"We're not having a feast." Sunako replied quietly. After knocking, the door was opened and Ranmaru popped his head out to see who it was. He gave a sexy smile and bowed to them.

"Oh, my. What are two lovely ladies doing outside my hotel door? Care to have fun? Have you both decided to drop the loves of your lives and turn to me…Prince Ranmaru?" He gave a wink. "I am always willing to share my body to those who want it…"

Noi punched him on the face. "She's here to see Kyohei."

Ranmaru glanced at the trays the two girls they were carrying. He rubbed his swollen cheek and bade them come in. "You should have said that before you punched me." He pointed to Kyohei's room. "He hasn't come out yet."

Sunako walked towards the direction of the room and knocked on the door. It took several knocks and a shout from Ranmaru "It's not me", before the door opened and Kyohei showed his face.

When he saw her, her looked away. "What do you want?" he asked her.

She showed him the tray and lifted the cover. Both Noi and Ranmaru's eyes twinkled. The tray was filled with large golden-brown shrimps, Kyohei's favorite food. Noi and Ranmaru watched with anticipation at the scene in front of them. "Fried shrimp." Sunako offered the tray to Kyohei.

Kyohei's eyes widened and he turned to face Sunako. He stared at the tray she was offering him and bit his lip. "I'm not hungry." Kyohei replied and closed the door.

Noi and Ranmaru gasped. "Kyohei declined Sunako's cooking! This is serious!" Ranmaru exclaimed.

Noi turned to Sunako and shook her violently. "Tell him that you didn't choose Zaki over him. Apologize for what you said to him. I know he'll still love you! It's not too late!"

Sunako sighed. She couldn't hear Noi and Ranmaru bugging her to do something about Kyohei. All she could hear was his rejection.

_I hate radiant beings._

"I guess I deserved that." Sunako said quietly.

END OF CHAPTER 12


	13. Chapter 13: Love Is An Illusion

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

Author's Note:

Thanks for the support 

--

**CHAPTER 13: LOVE IS AN ILLUSION**

"_Radiant creature."_

_The girl stared hard into the video camera, something she was not used to doing. But if it would bring the radiant one back, she would do it. Already she was adorned with a large headdress covered with several lit light bulbs. To be blindingly bright, that was what she had to do to get his attention. That and her secret weapon…something she knew he could not resist. She picked up the piece of fried tempura and spoke to the video camera again._

"_Fried shrimp."_

_All it took was that and he came back. He could never resist her cooking._

"_Cook me some fried shrimp!" he would often say. "No carrots!" He hated vegetables so she took extra care to mince them so that he wouldn't notice they were included in her dishes._

Sunako thought back on the scene that happened a while ago. She had cooked him some fried shrimp again just to atone for the hurt she caused him. She knew it was already a sure thing, he did say before that he could never resist her cooking.

_I'm not hungry._

To an outsider, it would seem normal. But she already knew him so well and he would only reject food if something was bothering him. Food, most especially fried shrimp, to him was like chocolates to her. Irresistible. And yet, she realized, both of them rejected what they wanted most.

"_Is that what you really want, Sunako-chan? To apologize so you wouldn't feel guilty about eating the chocolates he bought you?" _Hiroshi-kun was again speaking to her thoughts.

Sunako stared at the boxes of chocolates on the table and shook her head. Was that really what she wanted? To become guilt-free of eating the chocolates the radiant being bought her?

"_Or are you genuinely concerned about his feelings, Sunako-chan? You know that you don't hate him… what do you feel for him exactly?"_

She covered her ears with her hands, hoping that Hiroshi-kun would stop talking to her. _I don't hate him. I don't hate him. I…_

_I like you._

She paled. Why did those words affect her so much? "Impossible. A radiant creature cannot like a creature of darkness." She sighed, shaking her head. He had rejected her peace offering. It was a painful blow but she knew she deserved it.

_I like you. I don't think you're ugly. I think you're beautiful. Sunako-chan I…_

Why was she suddenly hoping that he meant those words he said?

---

Kyohei did not want to leave his room anymore. He couldn't understand what he was feeling, and it drove him nuts. He refused to leave the room knowing that Noi and Ranmaru were ready to pounce him with questions he refused to answer. Already he could hear Noi shouting from behind the door, "You idiot! She was apologizing! How could you?!" and Ranmaru calling out, "Don't be stubborn, Kyohei. How could you resist your true love?"

She wasn't his true love. He groaned. He knew she wasn't. When he saw her with Zaki at the reunion, he was pissed because Zaki wanted to get back at him. When he saw the two of them dancing, he was pissed because he knew Zaki was up to no good. When he saw Zaki and Sunako together at the playground, he knew Zaki intended to hurt her. He also knew he had to stop him from manipulating Sunako, from attempting to hurt her again. And that was the reason why he was acting that way. Because he didn't want her to get hurt again. Because she was his friend.

_I hate radiant beings_.

Sunako usually said more hurtful things to him. They would argue a lot, beat each other silly and were always competitive with one another. But this time was different. Why did her words affect him so much?

_I like you_.

He said it without thinking. Did he really mean to say those words? They just came out. He felt like he had taken Sunako's role two years ago, and she had taken Zaki's. Did she really hate him that much? Then he realized that she came to his room to apologize.

_I'm not hungry._

He had rejected her offering of peace. He gave a small sigh. She had prepared a tray of fried shrimp for him, and yet, he had refused to accept them.

Was it because he was upset with her? Why was he upset in the first place? He sighed and stood up from his bed. "Stupid Sunako."

As soon as he opened the door to his room, two figures stumbled inside. "Idiot, Kyohei!" Noi called out angrily. "How could you refuse her love offering? I thought you loved–"

"I'm going out."

"Where are you going now?" Ranmaru asked him curiously. He stood up and helped Noi up since she was still slumped on the floor.

"To talk to Sunako." Kyohei didn't wait for the two to reply and left the room.

Noi's eyes twinkled. "I knew he couldn't resist her!"

Ranmaru grinned. "I can't wait to tell Yuki and Takenaga the news. It looks like Kyohei finally realized his feelings."

---

Unfortunately for them, Kyohei had no intention of talking to Sunako. All he wanted was to leave the room and avoid further questions from his friends. "Why should I care if she chooses Zaki over me? She's big enough to take care of herself."

He didn't know where he was supposed to go, he also knew that he had to make peace with Sunako eventually. He knew he couldn't resist her cooking. But then again, was that the reason why he wanted to make peace? "She is such a pain." He groaned as he thought back on the times he had to save Sunako when she got into trouble.

"_Thank you."_

When he "saved" Hiroshi from being kidnapped by Kyohei's "fans", he never expected Sunako to thank him for that. To him it was no big deal, but he could never forget the look on her face when he returned her "best friend". It was also the first time he saw her smile. Sunako rarely smiled and when she did, he couldn't help but stare at her. She really was pretty despite what others thought. Zaki was blind not to see that, he thought to himself.

_You enjoy her company, don't you?_

Takenaga and the others often told him this, whenever he and Sunako "go out". They only went out twice (both unintentional) but he had to admit that he had fun going out with her. She wasn't like the other girls from school who fawned over him or followed him around. She was far from being the perfect girl, and liked it that way. She liked it that way and so did he.

His eyes widened. Could it be? Could it really be that–

He shrugged the thought off. That couldn't be. He couldn't possibly _love_ her. He couldn't possibly–

He stopped walking as soon as he saw the person in front of him. "Sunako?"

---

Sunako paled. What was he doing outside his room? She was already melting under his radiance. It was better when he was inside his room, away from sight. It was easier to approach him that way.

She bowed. "I…I…"

The radiant creature looked at her curiously. "You know what? You're such an annoying brat. You always do what you want despite what others think. You always get into trouble and it's annoying that I always have to save you. I don't think anyone could ever like a person like you since you don't want anyone to do so anyway…" he began.

Sunako clenched her fists. She really wanted to throttle him now but she realized that he was just trying to save her from saying sorry. "You're annoying as well, you know. You're lazy, stubborn and you always think about money and food. If I always get into trouble, you're the one who always starts trouble. I don't know why girls like you maybe it's because they don't even know how hard it is to live with you…"

His eyes widened. Did she really know him that well?

She stopped talking. Did she make it worse again? He _did_ provoke her by saying such nasty things about her. But then again, she was surprised that he knew so much about her already. "I…I'm sorry…"

He cut her off. "Forget about it. You make do the stupidest things and always get into trouble but you know what? I'm your friend and I'll make sure to save you every time that happens." He gave her a smile and a pat on the head.

She smiled back and was about to say something when someone interrupted them. "Oh if it isn't the idiot again."

They both turned around and saw Zaki. Kyohei's eyes blazed, Sunako on the other hand looked away. "What are you doing here?" Kyohei asked him angrily.

"You're not the one who owns this hotel, you know." Zaki replied. His eyes moved to the two. "Trying to win her back? Didn't she say that she hates radiant beings?" He turned to Sunako. "You shouldn't listen to what he has to say. He always said bad things about me. He even hit me when you ran off from the playground. I only wanted to apologize for hurting you two years ago."

Kyohei couldn't take it anymore. He raised his fist and punched Zaki on the face. Zaki fell to the ground. He was about to hit Zaki again when Sunako touched his arm. "Stop it." She leaned towards Zaki and extended her hand to help him up. Zaki took her hand and stood up making sure Kyohei watched Sunako helped him.

"Thank you, Sun-chan." Zaki smiled weakly. He gave Kyohei a sly wink. "I should thank you for stopping him from hitting me again. Would you like to be my date for the farewell party tonight?"

"I'm not going." Sunako told him.

Zaki sighed. "Suzu will be upset if you're not going. She convinced everyone to apologize for what they did to you at the reunion. That's the reason why we're having the party tonight."

"I…see…" Sunako thought for a few moments and then nodded. "Okay. I'll go."

Kyohei's eyes widened. "Can't you see that he's just using you?" He looked at Sunako whose head was still bent down. He groaned and shrugged his shoulders. "You're so stubborn. I can't believe you want to go with him again."

Zaki smiled. Tonight's party would really be interesting. "I'll see you tonight then."

---

Sunako put the comb down. She couldn't believe she actually said "yes" to going to the party. She didn't want to go with Zaki but her saying she'd go seemed like she wanted to. What she couldn't forget was how Kyohei punched Zaki. Kyohei had always been there to protect her when she was in trouble but this was the first time she saw him hit someone who didn't even cause trouble for her. "I'll never understand radiant beings." Sunako sighed.

Just then someone knocked at the door. The door opened and Noi and Ranmaru peeked in. "We heard you were attending the farewell party."

They entered and were soon followed by Takenaga and Yuki. "Your Aunt bought you another dress as soon as Noi told her about the party tonight."

Noi nodded proudly. "I picked it out myself. You'll look lovely in it! Ranmaru and Takenaga will be doing your hair and make-up."

Sunako groaned. Did she really have to dress up for the party? All she wanted was to show up and quietly leave when the opportunity came.

Takenaga brushed her long black hair. "Suzu invited us to go as well, just to make sure nothing bad happens."

Sunako rolled her eyes. Great. The radiant beings would be there which meant she had to resist their radiance. However, she had to admit that she was a bit touched that they went out of their way to make her presentable.

"Yeah. What happened at the reunion wasn't really a good thing. So if something bad happens again, we'll be there to protect you." Yuki patted her on the head.

After Takenaga was finished fixing Sunako's hair, Ranmaru turned to face Sunako. "I'll make sure that you'll be the prettiest girl there, Sunako-chan. Don't worry. No one will call you 'ugly' again."

Noi nodded and watched Ranmaru put make-up on Sunako's face. "Sunako, we won't leave you behind. We'll be there to support you!"

It took a while but suddenly Sunako realized that the brightest of the radiant creatures wasn't around. Takenaga noticed her hesitantly look around for the missing radiant creature. "Sunako-chan, if you're wondering where Kyohei is… he said he wouldn't go to the farewell party."

END OF CHAPTER 13


	14. Chapter 14: The Most Radiant Creature

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

Author's Note:

I really appreciate all the reviews. I hope you continue to support my work (and my upcoming novels hehe). The moment everyone is waiting for is now here! Enjoy!

--

**CHAPTER 14: THE MOST RADIANT CREATURE  
**

"Sunako-chan, if you're wondering where Kyohei is… he said he wouldn't go to the farewell party."

He's not going.

Why did it bother her so much? It's not like she wanted to have him around. In fact, she would much rather not see him at all. That would definitely save her from the massive nosebleeds he often caused her to have.

Takenaga and the rest waited for Sunako's reaction to his statement. However, Sunako remained silent and expressionless.

Noi's eyes widened. "You're not bothered at all that Kyohei's not coming?!"

"It will be better if he's not around." Sunako replied as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Poor Sunako-chan…you still haven't forgiven Kyohei for rejecting your peace offering?" Ranmaru asked her. Then he stroked her hair and sighed loudly. "He just wants you to miss him, Sunako-chan! He could not bear seeing you with Zaki at the party so he decided not to go. His heart can only take so much rejection!"

"Yes, yes, yes…" Noi nodded. "Because he thinks you chose Zaki over him, he got so hurt and didn't want to see you tonight. He feared that he'd get his heart broken if he saw Zaki with you!"

Takenaga sighed as he looked at Noi and Ranmaru who were both caught up in their imaginations. "Looks like Yuki and I are the only sane persons here."

Yuki laughed. "It would be interesting though if what they're both saying is true? Actually, I don't even know the reason why Kyohei didn't want to go."

"Who knows? Maybe Kyohei will surprise us."

---

Sunako was silent on their way to the hotel's ballroom. They were greeted by Suzu who was waiting at the entrance. "I'm so happy that you decided to come!"

Sunako didn't reply but gave a quick bow. '_He's not here so why is it bothering you so much?' _she thought to herself. Just then, Zaki approached her and took her hand. When she cringed, he suddenly dropped it.

"Sun-chan! I'm glad you could make it!" He smiled and looked at the others who accompanied her. It looked like the idiot wasn't with them. Zaki sighed. _'Oh well, I guess there's no point in talking to this creepy girl anymore. After all, if the idiot isn't here, it's less fun.' _Zaki thought to himself. He turned away from Sunako and left her side without saying another word.

Noi pouted. "How rude! First he talks to you as though he were really glad to see you and then he turns his back on you!"

Takenaga eyed Zaki's retreating back suspiciously. Could it be possible that Kyohei was right? That Zaki was just pretending to like Sunako?

"He's worse than Ranmaru!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Hey! I resent that!" Ranmaru cried out. Suddenly, two pretty girls approached them.

"What a cutie!" one of the girls said.

Ranmaru flashed his killer smile and said in a sexy tone, "I could say the same for both of you…" He then walked away, an arm around each pretty girl.

"See what I mean?" Yuki laughed as they watched Ranmaru flirt with the girls.

"I…I want to go look around." Sunako finally spoke.

Noi's eyes twinkled. "Good idea!" She grabbed Takenaga's arm and snuggled close to him. "Takenaga-kun, let's have a look around the place, too. Bye, Yuki!" All three left Yuki and headed to different parts of the room.

Yuki sighed. "I guess I'm on my own again."

---

'_Peace and quiet at last_.' Sunako thought to herself. It would be easier for her to stay at the party without the radiant creatures following her every move. It was better to be alone. No one bothered with her, and she didn't have to bother anybody. She didn't know why she had to attend the party in the first place. No one seemed to notice she was around, and she was better off not being seen anyway. Ranmaru looked like he was having a good time flirting with her old classmates. Yuki was hanging out with Suzu-chan, and Noi and Takenaga were having their own moment in another part of the room. She wondered how they could manage to be themselves even when they weren't back home in Tokyo. The only one missing was…

Sunako shrugged the thought away. How could she even think of that radiant creature?! It shouldn't bother her in the least that he wasn't around. If he were, he'd either be lounging away in the buffet table area or picking a fight with someone. Someone like Zaki…

She hated herself for even thinking about him. But she had to admit that it was strange that the radiant creature had refused to come, knowing that he could never resist food, free food at that. Suddenly, she heard voices from behind her.

"So it looks like your plan isn't going to work, eh?" One of the voices said.

"It's pointless to even think about it. I mean, if that idiot isn't here, what's the point of me wasting my time with that creepy chick?"

Sunako's eyes flared. They couldn't be talking about her, could they? She couldn't resist listening in. When she turned around to see who the voices belonged to, she saw Zaki talking to another old classmate, Mido Kasagi.

"Why did you even bother talking to her in the first place?" Mido asked Zaki.

"Well, when I saw her at the party, I thought she looked really pretty. I guess Tokyo is the best place to get a makeover. But spending time with her, she never changed. She's still as creepy as ever. And she's still totally in love with me. She even told that idiot she hated him in front of me!"

Mido laughed. "Probably to show that she still had the hots for you. She is blind though…that friend of hers was quite the pretty boy."

Zaki rolled his eyes. "Mido, his charms couldn't even work with an ugly chick. I think the pretty boy will still be _me_. He's so pathetic to even try to challenge me!"

She could not believe what she was hearing. Before she could even think of what she was doing, Sunako marched towards Zaki and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "I can tolerate you calling me ugly, but you have no right to say that you are better than the creature of light!"

Zaki and Mido were taken aback by Sunako's sudden intrusion. "You're crazy! How dare you touch me?! And where's your creature of the light now? That idiot abandoned you because he can never bring down Zaki Shinomori!" Zaki answered back.

Her reply was slamming him on the floor. "You're the ugly one. You're heartless and think only of yourself. I was a fool to even fall in love with the likes of you." She gave one last look at Zaki who was still on the floor. "And by the way, his name is not _idiot_. It's Kyohei." With that, she left the two of them speechless.

Mido was about to say something but Zaki stopped him. "You messed with the wrong person, Sunako Nakahara."

---

Sunako could feel the tears falling down her cheeks. She didn't even stop to wipe them off. She kept walking, blinded by her tears, trying to find the exit.

"I want to leave."

Just then, the music stopped playing. All eyes turned to the stage to see what the fuss was about. Even Sunako couldn't help but turn her eyes to the stage. There was Zaki, a mike in hand, calling the attention of everyone in the room.

"I'm sure everyone here because Suzu asked all of us to be nice to our old classmate whom all of us gave a bad time during the reunion," Zaki's eyes scanned the room and when he saw Sunako, he pointed towards her direction and the spotlight turned on her. "Sunako Nakahara, our old classmate back in junior high. I'm sure all of us here know of the incident between us." He smiled, making sure not to break his gaze from her face.

What was he up to? Sunako wondered. She tried to move from her place but she could feel her body resisting. Everyone in the room was silent, eyes both on Zaki and Sunako, wondering what was going to take place.

"Yes, our dear little Sunako approached me two years ago and confessed her love for me. My reply?" He gave a smile, emphasizing word for word his next sentence. "_I hate ugly girls._"

His words caused sudden chatter from the crowd. Noi, Takenaga, Yuki and Ranmaru could not understand why Zaki was saying those words. Noi wanted to throttle Zaki but Takenaga held her hand tightly and shook his head. "Wait, Noi-chi. We have to see what he's up to."

"And our dear Sunako left Hokkaido and moved to Tokyo. Two years later, I finally had peace, talk finally ended about my incident with Sunako, until the reunion…" Zaki paused, trying to settle down the crowd to make them listen to what he wanted to say. "I hoped you never came to the reunion, Sun-chan. Because I knew you'd make a living hell out of my life again. But when I saw you, I had to admit, you had changed your looks. Was all that to prepare to win me back?" Zaki laughed then gave another one of his smiles. "Suzu-chan, you said Sunako didn't deserve the words her classmates told her back at the reunion that's why you organized another party. But you're wrong. She deserved it. She's one crazy bitch who tried to hit me when I refused to fall in love with her again."

That was a total lie and Sunako knew it. However, her body felt numb and as much as she wanted to run away, she could not.

"Sunako Nakahara, no one will ever love such an ugly girl like you…" Zaki continued, but his words were drowned by another who shouted:

"That's a lie!"

Everyone turned to see who it was. Was it Sunako who finally spoke up? Everyone, who's eyes were fixed on Zaki who was speaking, suddenly turned to Sunako's direction. Noi, Takenaga, Yuki and Ranmaru all turned to Sunako and their jaws dropped.

"This ugly girl you're calling is the most beautiful person in this room."

Sunako's head turned, her eyes blurred with tears, but she saw who had spoken on her behalf.

It was Kyohei.

"She's the most beautiful person in this room because unlike all of you, she cares for her friends. Even if she didn't want to see the people who hurt her, she still came to this party to see you all again," He slipped an arm around Sunako's waist and held her tightly. "And if you say that no one could ever love her, you're wrong too."

Sunako's eyes widened. What was the radiant creature saying? Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Kyohei's lips pressing against hers. Everyone's eyes widened as they saw Kyohei kissing Sunako in front of all those in the room. The next thing that happened was Sunako's nose turning into a geyser of blood and her fainting in Kyohei's arms.

"You're the ugly one, Zaki. You're ugly because you failed to see how much Sunako is worth."

END OF CHAPTER 14

* * *

**I hope you liked the chapter and continue to support this series. It's really tough to get them together! Will they ever? What will Sunako's reaction be? We can only find out on the next chapter!**


	15. Chapter 15: Clouded Thoughts

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long wait. I initially thought of ending it all in chapter 15 but I figured that one chapter alone would not be enough to work on Sunako's feelings. I am very thankful for all the reviews, alerts and favorites given to this novel. I will strive harder to give you what you all want! 

--

**CHAPTER 15: CLOUDED THOUGHTS**

He knew what he did would not lead to favorable results. He also knew that once she woke up, she'd have a death wish prepared for him. However, he could not just simply stand by and let Zaki embarrass her in front of all her old classmates. He only wanted to make sure Zaki didn't do anything crazy and didn't want anyone to see him at the party. But in the end, he had to save her.

He could hear the people in the room talking about what just happened. How Zaki tried embarrassing Sunako. How she just stood there listening. How he defended her from all of Zaki's lies. And how he kissed her.

He never intended to kiss her. He knew that if he did, she'd faint. And when she'd wake up, she'd unleash havoc on him. And yet, he found himself, carrying her in his arms, unable to let her go. He watched her sleeping face sadly, knowing that once she woke up, things would not go back to the way things were. Would she hate him more when she woke up? He did after all kiss her. And although they kissed before, something bad always happened after.

He sighed and took one last look at her sleeping face. She really was pretty and he found it annoying that she didn't consider herself such. "Stupid, Zaki. It's all your fault she's like this." Kyohei muttered under his breath. Suddenly, Sunako stirred in his arms. He panicked, knowing full well that his face was the last thing she wanted to see when she woke up. "Ranmaru!" he called out.

Ranmaru walked to Kyohei's side after being called. "Ah, the gallant hero! Are you done having your way with her?" Ranmaru teased him.

"Shut up." Kyohei groaned. Gently, he handed the sleeping Sunako into Ranmaru's arms, leaving Ranmaru in wonder.

"Eh? What are you doing?" Ranmaru asked.

"Take care of her for me, will you? My face is the last thing she wants to see when she wakes up." Without waiting for Ranmaru's reply, he left the party.

---

Sunako's eyes fluttered open and she found herself in the arms of one of the radiant creatures. "Sunako-chan! Did you sleep well? You've had quite an experience a while back." Ranmaru greeted her.

She froze in his arms, wondering why in the world he was holding her. "Let me go!"

Ranmaru, surprised at her reaction, gently placed her on the floor.

"Wh…what happened?"

"You don't remember?!" a voice from behind her shrieked. It was Noi, getting all giddy beside Takenaga who tried hard to restrain her. "That Zaki tried to embarrass you in front of all the people in the room…"

"Yes, and Kyohei defended your honor!" Ranmaru added.

"Yes! And he even kissed you! Oh he's so much in love with you, Sunako! Isn't it great?" Noi asked excitedly.

Suddenly, Sunako paled as she began to remember just what happened a while back.

_This ugly girl you're calling is the most beautiful person in this room._

Her eyes scanned the room, searching for his face. Unknowingly, she raised her finger to her lips. _And he even kissed you! _Noi's words echoed in her thoughts.

"Impossible! Impossible! No! No! No!" she screamed, not wanting to accept the reality of it all. She ran out of the room, wanting to hide in the darkness. "I've been tainted by that creature of the light! This can't be!" She kept running until she bumped into someone and when she found out who it was, she got even madder. "You!"

It was the radiant creature, Kyohei, the one who kissed her. He stood there, unable to look at her. She was about to say something else but was unable to do so because when their eyes met, a geyser of blood gushed out her nose and she fainted.

---

Sunako was on her bed by the time she woke up. And when she did, she found out that she wasn't alone. Someone was sitting on a chair by the bed. "Get out of my room! How dare you invade my sanctuary?!"

Kyohei was unable to look at her. "Good, you're awake."

"What do you want from me? When will you stop making fun of me?"

"Making fun of you?" Kyohei's eyes widened. "I came here to ask you to forget what happened at the party." Then he looked away. "It would be…better if you did."

"How can I forget what you did to me?! You tainted me with your radiance! How dare you shine light into my darkness?" she cried out.

"What are you talking about? Zaki was trying to embarrass you at the party! I did you a favor by defending you!"

"But how could you…how could you…" she was unable to say the word "kiss" but Kyohei knew it was what she wanted to say.

"I…I just wanted to show Zaki that someone was capable of liking you."

"I'll kill you! Get out of my room before I do!" Sunako screamed.

Kyohei looked at her sadly. "Do you really hate me that much? I guess you really did mean it when you told me that you hated radiant creatures."

Sunako was so stunned by his words that she was unable to reply. He, however, didn't seem to want to hear anything from her anymore because he simply stood up and left the room.

_Do I really hate him?_ Sunako wondered to herself. _It would've been better if he hadn't kissed me. Then I wouldn't have been tainted…_ she tried to reassure herself but the more she did, the worse she felt.

---

Kyohei watched as Yuki, Ranmaru and Noi gathered together in the room he shared with Ranmaru. It was their last night in Hokkaido, and the three wanted to make the best out of it by brainstorming over the best places to visit or go shopping. Takenaga, who didn't want to join in their conversation, walked towards to Kyohei who was sitting in the corner of the room.

"What's up?" he asked Kyohei.

"Nothing. I'm not in the mood to go out tonight."

"Is this because of what happened with Sunako-chan?"

"I shouldn't have done what I did. She can't get over the fact that I _tainted _her darkness. Stupid Sunako. I only did that to make Zaki stop making fun of her."

Takenaga smiled. "You know, Kyohei, you shouldn't be bothered with what you did if you don't regret doing it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, obviously, you're affected by Sunako's reaction to what you did. Were you hoping she might react differently to your kiss?"

Kyohei didn't reply immediately. "No. I knew she'd react that way. I know she hates me. What I do always annoy her. She can't even stand the sight of me now."

They were suddenly interrupted by Yuki, Ranmaru and Noi. "Kyohei! Takenaga! Let's call Sunako-chan and do karaoke! The karaoke bar here is really popular!" Yuki said excitedly.

"You guys go. I'm not in the mood to do karaoke." Kyohei replied.

Takenaga gave Kyohei a pat on the shoulder. "Goodnight Kyohei. Just think about what I said. Don't be bothered with what you did. I think it was about time you did it. I guess now you realize what your feelings are."

On their way to the karaoke bar, Takenaga suddenly stopped walking. "Could you guys go ahead? I'll be the one to invite Sunako-chan to the karaoke bar."

He gave a small wave to the three and headed towards Sunako's room. Sunako opened the door after Takenaga's third knock. "What do you want?"

"We were just wondering if you wanted to do karaoke with us. Since it's our last night here, we thought we'd have a party." Takenaga smiled.

"Leave me alone. I don't want to mingle with you creatures of the light. I've been tainted by your kind. I have no desire to join you all." Sunako muttered.

"Do you really hate Kyohei?"

His question caught Sunako off guard. "Go away."

"He has been really protective of you, you know. Ever since we arrived, he's been checking out on your past, wanting to make sure you don't experience what happened to you two years ago. He became friends with Suzu-chan to try to know more about Zaki. Then when he found out that Zaki was up to no good, he made sure to foil Zaki's plans. Don't you see why Kyohei is doing all these things?"

"Leave me alone!" Sunako attempted to shut the door but Takenaga stopped her.

"Just think about what I'm going to tell you. Kyohei did all those things because he's your friend and he didn't want anyone to hurt you anymore. Don't hate him for caring about you."

---

Sunako winced after remembering Takenaga's words.

_Do you really hate Kyohei?_

_Do you really hate me that much?_

She buried her face in her hands. What was wrong with her? She had to admit, the radiant creature did save her from embarrassment. It was twice he did that and he had warned her about Zaki but she didn't believe him.

_His name is not idiot. It's Kyohei._

It was the first time she ever mentioned his name. She normally referred to him as either 'radiant creature' or 'creature of the light' and never called him by name. But somehow, hearing someone speak negatively about him made her mad.

_I'm your friend and I'll make sure to save you every time that happens._

He spoke these words before the party. Before "it" happened. And then she realized the truth. He did save her but she was too stubborn to let herself be saved.

---

"Hokkaido was great! It's a pity we can't extend our vacation." Yuki stretched his arms. He and the others slept over at Ranmaru's room after doing karaoke the night before.

"Yeah. I thought I'd never be able to fit all the things I bought from here!" Noi exclaimed. Since Takenaga didn't allow her to sleep over, she dropped by the room early the next day.

"I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation, Noi-chi." Takenaga smiled at his girlfriend.

"Yes it is a pity we couldn't extend. I wasn't able to ask Suzu-chan on a date…" Ranmaru sighed dramatically.

"Yuki's the only one she'd go out with, Ranmaru." Noi teased, causing Yuki to blush.

"Has anyone called Sunako-chan? We have to make sure that she isn't left behind." Takenaga asked.

"I dropped by her place before I came here but her room was empty…." Noi looked worried.

Kyohei, who was silent the whole time, suddenly stood up from his seat. "I…I need to get some air."

"Where are you going?" Yuki, Ranmaru and Noi chorused. Kyohei didn't answer but left the room. Noi looked at Takenaga who was the only who not bothered with Kyohei's sudden departure.

"Leave him be. He's probably off to find Sunako."

Noi's eyes twinkled. "Could it be that he finally realized his feelings for her?"

Takenaga smiled. "Doesn't it already show?"

---

She didn't know what she was doing at the playground but she knew that she had to go back. Her eyes closed and she tried to recall what happened two years ago.

_I've loved you since junior high._

_I hate ugly girls._

Her eyes fluttered open and she sat on one of the swings. It was strange to think back on the past, and yet here she was trying to relive it. This time however, when she raised her hand to her cheek, she realized that it was dry. Suddenly, she recalled something else that happened in that same playground.

_I like you. You're not ugly, you're beautiful._

_I hate radiant creatures._

She clutched her chest and felt her heart beat painfully against it. Why did he come? What did he plan to do? Why did he say those words to her? She knew that radiant creature couldn't possibly mean those words. He was trying to save her, that was all…nothing else.

_This ugly girl you're calling is the most beautiful person in this room._

She shook her head, hating herself for thinking about that incident. He couldn't possibly mean those words either. He was just trying to save her…that was all…nothing…else…

Her vision was become blurry. It was then that she realized that she was already crying. What was wrong with her? She couldn't understand what she was feeling, couldn't understand what was happening to her.

_Do you hate Kyohei?_

"I don't hate you." Sunako spoke to no one in particular.

Her thoughts were then interrupted by a familiar voice.

"What are you doing here?"

She wiped away her tears to see who it was. "Go away."

"Still trying to bring back the past? It's over. Get over it."

She groaned. Zaki was the last person she wanted to see here. "What are you doing here?"

"I followed you when you left the hotel. You owe me an apology…" His eyes darkened and it was difficult to see what he was thinking.

"I don't owe you anything."

"Yes you do. And I'm going to make sure you get what you deserve."

END OF CHAPTER 15


	16. Chapter 16: The Playground

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

Author's Note:

I was kind of disappointed in myself for last chapter. Hopefully I make it up this next chapter. Enjoy!

**CHAPTER 16: THE PLAYGROUND**

"I followed you when you left the hotel. You owe me an apology…"

Sunako stared at Zaki who was standing right in front of her, his eyes difficult to read.

"I don't owe you anything." Which was true. She didn't owe Zaki anything, not even an apology.

"You embarrassed me in front of my classmates! Now I'm the laughingstock of the whole school and it's all your fault." His eyes blazed, and she could tell that he was not in a very good mood.

"I didn't do anything to you. If I recall, you were the one who tried to embarrass me."

Zaki laughed. "Wasn't what I was saying all true?"

"No!" She turned away. There was no way she was staying to hear all he wanted to say. However, before she was able to even make a single step, he grabbed her arm. She tried to flip him over like she normally did when someone grabbed her, but he had sensed her intention and twisted her arm. Upon hearing her wince, he used to this to his advantage and pinned her to the ground. He loomed over her, his eyes filled with much hatred. He made sure she couldn't move by holding both her hands up while he sat on top of her.

"You must've been dreaming of the day this would come…" Zaki was saying. Sunako didn't reply and turned her face away. _Think, Sunako. Think of a way to get out of this predicament._ "It's a pity that idiot isn't here to see us. You know what? I've always hated him ever since he punched me out of no where."

Sunako's eyes widened. The radiant creature punched Zaki before?

Zaki seemed to know what she was thinking. "Yes. And he kept on warning me about how he'd make sure I pay if I ever hurt you again. He truly is an idiot. He can't even make you fall in love with him. He's obviously smitten by you. I don't even know why he is when you're such an ugly chick."

_If she could just… _Sunako tried to wriggle from Zaki's grasp but he held onto her hands so tightly that it was difficult to move.

"What do you plan to do to me?" she finally asked. Her eyes stared into his, trying to read what he was thinking.

Zaki's eyes widened. How did she suddenly look so hot? It was as if she shape-shifted in front of his eyes. He eyed her form sprawled on the ground underneath his. Her hair, which usually covered most of her face, fell away and displayed more of her looks. Her eyes, angry he could tell, stared into his. He gave a wicked smile. "Maybe the idiot was right about you. You're not half-bad…" He looked at her up and down, and finally, bent his head near hers as though to kiss her lips. "You must be excited to have me this close to you. I can just imagine how that idiot might feel once he realizes I'm going to have my way with you when he obviously can't."

Sunako's eyes blazed and she lifted her leg. When he bent closer, she moved her head to whisper in his ear. "I…" Zaki couldn't believe he was feeling excited over her.

"Yes?" he turned his face towards hers.

The next thing that happened was Sunako flipping Zaki through the air. Zaki landed painfully on his back and when he tried to stand up, he found Sunako staring down at him, with her foot on top of his chest. "…told you his name was Kyohei, not idiot." She eyed him angrily and grabbed him by the collar. "Stop making things bad for the radiant creature. He did nothing but protect me from the likes of you."

Zaki looked at her dumbfounded. What the hell just happened?! He never knew Sunako would be _that _strong. He looked at her, frightened. "A…alright."

---

Was he too late? Kyohei had looked everywhere for Sunako. When he finally decided to look for her at the playground, he found her with Zaki. When he saw Zaki pin Sunako to the ground, he was about to run and save her but found himself unable to do so. He felt he would only make things worse and that Sunako would prefer to be pinned down by Zaki than allow herself to be saved by Kyohei. But everything happened so fast and one minute he saw Zaki pin down Sunako and the next minute he found Zaki on the ground with Sunako towering over him. It looked like she didn't need his help after all. Then, he heard something that completely caught him off guard.

"…told you his name was Kyohei, not idiot."

It was the first time he ever heard her speak his name. He was unable to move for a few minutes until he realized that Sunako was heading towards his direction. He saw her pause when she saw him and her attempt to pretend not to see him by simply walking straight ahead. He grabbed her arm before she even tried to walk away, his head bent to avoid looking into her eyes. Kyohei half-expected her to shrug him away but she stopped walking.

"What do you want?"

"You…what happened? Did…what did he try to do…?" Kyohei muttered brokenly. He was frustrated at himself for being unable to say what he wanted to say. His eyes turned to her wrist and he found the area Zaki grabbed already turning into a bluish hue. "Did he hurt you?"

It was her turn to look away. "No." Without waiting for a response, she pulled her arm away and left him.

"Th…that was the first time…I heard you say my name." He said it so quietly and never intended for her to hear it anymore but she did.

She did hear his words because she stopped moving again. "You have a name and I couldn't allow Zaki to call you anything less than that."

END OF CHAPTER 16

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Author's Note:

I realized this is a tad shorter than usual but this kind of makes me feel much better after that awkward cliffie I left behind. Please read my other works too (haha)! Thank you for all the support!


	17. Chapter 17: Returning the Unrequited

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

Author's Note:

I was re-reading that last chapter and realized that I didn't give Zaki the lesson he deserved. Sorry for the verrryyyy loooonnngggg delay. Well, here's chapter 17…it's funny that I initially wanted this to end with Zaki's arc but it's so hard to bring Sunako and Kyohei together without them becoming out of character. Hope you like the shift…initially this was supposed to be 20 chapters…we'll see if it is ;)

**CHAPTER 17: RETURNING THE UNREQUITED FEELINGS**

Sunako watched Zaki who cowered in fear as he lay on the grass. She knew he didn't deserve to be laid off the hook so easily after what he did and attempted to do to her. She also refused to forgive him for calling Kyohei an idiot. "Kyohei is a better man than you'll ever be…" She smiled at him, a dark aura enveloping her whole being that caused Zaki to shiver. "And if you ever dare speak to him, or even look at him… you will answer to me." She leaned close to him, smiling mischievously. "You no longer have the power to break me."

Zaki was sweating like mad as he watched her loom over him. How could she shift from an ugly girl to a beautiful siren and then to a one hell of a scary looking woman without him noticing it?

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" She smiled again, staring cruelly into his eyes.

He could only nod in reply, his body refusing to budge.

"Good." She finally stood up, brushing the dirt from her clothes. She took one last look at the guy who broke her heart two years ago, amazed that she no longer felt anything for him but disgust. She turned away and left him, still staring at her, dumbfounded. Sunako knew she shouldn't have let him off that easily, after Zaki had admitted that Kyohei tried to protect her from him.

Kyohei….

Her eyes widened. She couldn't believe she was actually thinking of him. Was the light playing tricks on her again by confusing her feelings?

_He's obviously smitten by you._

Did Zaki notice it too? She shook her head. It was impossible. How could the most radiant creature of all have feeling for a creature of darkness? It was simply crazy. She groaned. How could she even think of addressing the radiant creature by his name? She never called him by his name, knowing she had no right to dirty it. She panicked. Why was she acting this way? Why did that radiant creature affect her so much? Suddenly, she saw a familiar face in the distance. It was him.

What the hell was he doing here? Did he come to save her from Zaki again? She hated herself for hoping that was the reason. Then she realized that he was probably there to pick her up since they were already going back to Hokkaido. She walked past him but suddenly he grabbed her arm.

"What do you want?"

As she listened to him speak, she was surprised at how flustered he sounded. She could barely make out he was saying except for a "Did he hurt you?"

She felt his fingers caress the bruise Zaki left on her wrist. "No." She pulled away and was about to leave him again until she heard him speak the words she herself was confused over.

"Th…that was the first time…I heard you say my name." It was barely audible and she couldn't believe she even heard it. But she did.

---

"The radiant creature has a name and I couldn't allow Zaki to call him anything less than that." Sunako turned away from Kyohei, apparently annoyed with what he just blurted out.

Kyohei…

Her words…the way she spoke his name for the first time. It gave him mixed feelings. What was it he was feeling? He, too, was confused over the whole situation. Too confused that both he and Sunako remained silent on their way back to the hotel. When they packed their bags and headed straight for the train station, he could tell that Sunako was avoiding him.

He could also tell that Ranmaru, Takenaga, Yuki and Noi were watching them curiously but decided not to ask any questions, especially since Sunako specifically stated that she wanted to get a separate cabin on the train back to Tokyo. Since Sunako wanted to be alone, Noi had to share with Takenaga and Yuki while Ranmaru and Kyohei shared another. Noi decided, for once, to keep her mouth shut – perhaps also due to Takenaga's warning stare.

He had been quiet for quite a while until Ranmaru sat beside him. "Something wrong?"

Kyohei shook his head. "Wrong? What are you talking about?"

"Sunako seemed awfully quiet on her way back from where you picked her up…" Ranmaru grinned mischievously. "So…what happened? Did you finally tell her how you felt? Did she reject you? Or are you two playing it casual and pretending that nothing happened so we wouldn't tease you?"

Kyohei groaned, hitting Ranmaru on the head in annoyance. "Idiot. I just came to pick her up because she was late."

"And you just knew where to find her, didn't you…" Ranmaru teased.

"Lay off me, will you? I don't like Sunako-chan. It's not like I love her. It's just that she's my friend and I don't think of her that way." Kyohei argued. He had enough of Ranmaru's teasing already. Suddenly, both of them heard a thud on the door. Kyohei suddenly paled. It was Sunako.

Sunako stared at Ranmaru, then at Kyohei whose jaw dropped. Did she hear what he told Ranmaru? For some reason, Kyohei hoped she didn't.

"Noi said all the trunks were here…I came to get my blanket." Sunako said hurriedly.

Kyohei was about to ask her if he heard what he told Ranmaru but Ranmaru beat him to it. "Er…Sunako…Kyohei and I were just fooling around…don't take it to heart." He tried to give one of his devilish grins but he was too nervous to do so.

Sunako seemed unaffected. "I don't get what you are saying." After getting her blanket from her trunk, she left.

Ranmaru eyed Kyohei curiously. "For someone who doesn't like Sunako-chan, you look as though you're hoping she didn't hear what you just said."

Kyohei didn't reply immediately. "Stupid. She's my friend. I don't think of her that way. Besides…why should I care if she heard it or not? She knows I don't like her." Kyohei muttered, trying to convince himself as well.

"And here I was thinking you finally came to your senses. No wonder Sunako doesn't see you the way she saw Zaki." Ranmaru pouted.

"Would you stop saying that idiot's name?" Kyohei muttered angrily. "He's the reason why she's all weird again. No doubt she'll be even weirder when we get to Tokyo." Kyohei couldn't believe just hearing Zaki's name would make him angry.

"Maybe you're just jealous because Sunako fell in love with him without him even trying." Ranmaru eyed him, curious to see what Kyohei's reaction would be.

"Yeah and what good did that do her? I tried to warn her about it but she never listened to me…" Kyohei suddenly fell silent. _His name is Kyohei…_

Sunako's words from earlier echoed in his ears. Did she really defend him from Zaki? It looked that way. He couldn't hear their conversation but he did hear her say his name out loud. "…told you his name was Kyohei, not idiot."

_You have a name and I couldn't allow Zaki to call you anything less than that._

---

Meanwhile, Sunako braved entering the radiant creature's cabin to get her blanket. She could hear the two creatures of the light arguing and she didn't plan on prying into their affairs until she heard her name mentioned.

_I don't like Sunako-chan. It's not like I love her._

Sunako sighed. "I knew it."

END OF CHAPTER 17

--

Author's Note:

Okay…this just seemed more of a flashback than an update…but I think I like where it's going and hopefully this will be easier to continue. Cliché…I know… ;)


	18. Chapter 18: In Denial

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

Author's Note:

This chapter is not supposed to go out before I finish a chapter on "Lesson on Flowers" (poor attempt at promoting my novel haha) but as Takenaga is a tough one to crack, I decided to finish this one instead. I figured that since I gave Sunako some background history, I should start making one for Kyohei too. Enjoy!

**CHAPTER 18: IN DENIAL**

When the he and his four housemates returned from Hokkaido, Kyohei was finally able to let out a very long sigh of relief. It was good to be home. It felt better to be back where he belonged. No more Zaki Shinomori to be worried about. However, although Kyohei was glad that he was finally rid of having to deal with Zaki again, he couldn't help but wonder why that jerk still clouded his thoughts. Was it because he wasn't sure of how Sunako felt about the whole ordeal? Zaki caused Sunako so much trouble and Kyohei realized he hadn't even asked Sunako what she felt afterwards. Sure he saw her finally come to her senses, but something felt totally wrong. Was it because he felt guilty that Sunako might have heard what he told Ranmaru back on the train? He knew he shouldn't be feeling that way. He and Sunako were just friends…JUST FRIENDS…he planted the thought firmly in his head. Why should he care whether or not she felt the same way? Things would finally go back to normal (except for Sunako who, in her normal sense, was just plain weird).

But of course, Kyohei knew he had to play it safe…just in case… So for the past few days he acted as nice as he possibly could to Sunako. He didn't bug her as often, nor barge into her room unannounced whenever he wanted to borrow some of her stuff. He had to be on Sunako's good side. There was still that possibility that she might suddenly decide to lock herself in her room and refuse to do her chores again. And if that happened, he knew he'd be blamed again…not that it was his fault or anything. He already knew that if anything went wrong, the other three boys would bug him about Sunako and he'd never hear the end of it.

Little did he know, he would encounter more problems now that they got back from Hokkaido.

Trouble soon came when Kyohei went back to school…

"What the hell?!" Kyohei rushed through the school hallways and tried to evade the tons of fan girls who were chasing after him. _Why were the girls running after him all of a sudden? And why did they increase in number?!_ As soon as Kyohei found a safe place to hide, he thought long and hard for the answer.

"Kyohei-kun! Where are you? We have something to give you!" his die-hard fan girls called out. This was one of the reasons why Kyohei hated women. They scared the hell out of him and he hated having to do what they wanted.

"Sunako-chan told us that you two were just friends… and that you were free to date anyone you wanted…" he heard some of the girls say.

"Pick me! Pick me!"

What the hell was going on? Sunako was telling everyone they were friends? He knew he'd used Sunako's name several times to save his skin from his "fans" and that often made them turn away in disappointment (although it was mostly due to Sunako being so scary). Where the hell was Sunako anyway?

So after trying very hard to escape the mob of girls in school, Kyohei went home intent on asking Sunako what she told the girls to make them chase after him. "She's probably back to her normal self…" Kyohei assured himself. After all, it had been a week and she still treated him the way she used to so he guessed she was probably just being her mean self to him again. "Hey, Sunako…" Kyohei called out. Sunako's room was rarely locked and he was ready to barge into her room like he used to do when he wanted to bug her. "What the…" Kyohei turned the knob, and found out, to his amazement, that it was locked.

---

When the train arrived back in Tokyo, Sunako assured herself that she was fine with everything that happened the past few days. After overhearing Kyohei and Ranmaru talking about her, she knew she shouldn't be upset or anything. After all, she and Kyohei _were_ just friends. Then she realized that she just referred to the radiant creature using his given name. She shuddered at the thought that she had unwittingly allowed herself to use his given name.

And he was unusually obedient too, she noticed. For days he hadn't bothered her (which was beneficial in her part), and he hadn't complained at all over things he usually did. She tried to avoid him too (but made it so he wouldn't notice). She did her chores, pretended like nothing was wrong, that she wasn't upset over anything…

"Wait a minute…I'm not upset…" she reminded herself. However she could not deny that she _had_ been thinking about the radiant creature and his unusual behavior. And when she realized she was thinking about him, she groaned and tried her best to think of other things.

So to keep her mind off Kyohei (and to get him off her back) every time a girl would approach her and ask about Kyohei, she responded that they were just friends. She was tired of hearing everyone gossiping about her relationship with Kyohei when they were just friends. If it weren't for that radiant creature spreading lies that they were together, no girl in school (or any girl for that matter) would even bother with her. She was tired of having to explain that they weren't (although most of the time she just ignored them). She was tired of the jealous girls who did nasty things to her just because they thought she and Kyohei were a couple. Since it already came from that radiant creature's mouth that they were just friends, she realized that she didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore.

Was she upset? She shook the thought aside. There was no way she was upset. But if she wasn't upset, why couldn't she relax? Why did she keep thinking about him? Just then, she heard footsteps coming from outside her door. She could easily tell it was him, he was after all the only one who barged into her room whenever he felt like it. But this time was different. And before he was able to turn the knob, she rushed towards the door and locked it.

No she wasn't upset. But she wasn't ready to deal with him just yet.

---

It frustrated Kyohei when he found Sunako's door locked. "Let me in!" he called out from outside. Why the hell would she lock her door anyway? She always kept it unlocked and he had no trouble barging in before. "Open the door! I want to ask you something!" he called out again.

Unfortunately for him, the door did not open. He kept banging and banging on the door until Takenaga saw him. "Looking for Sunako?" Takenaga teased.

"I can't enter her room. She locked the door."

"Well, it's her room. Of course it's locked. Maybe she's not there."

"I know she's in there. I can hear the television playing from inside. And besides, she never keeps it locked."

Takenaga rubbed his chin then shrugged. "Maybe she doesn't want to see you." Takenaga then rapped lightly on Sunako's door. "Sunako-chan, are you in there?"

Just then, the door opened and Sunako peeked outside. "I'll make dinner later so go away. I want to finish watching my video." That being said, Sunako attempted to close the door.

"Why you little…" Kyohei then slid his foot in between the door and the wall to keep it from closing. "What the hell did you do? I've been stalked by girls in school all day!"

Sunako refused to look him in the eye. However, she did pause to answer his question. "I said we were just friends. That they have the wrong idea. Now they don't need to bother me anymore."

Kyohei's face fell when he heard Sunako's words and finally he stopped blocking the door. Takenaga eyed him curiously. "Something wrong?"

Kyohei laughed. "Of course not. I was just wondering if she did something crazy again." He left Takenaga who watched him walk away.

"An idiot till the end. When will he fess up already?"

---

Takenaga decided to take matters into his own hands. With the help of Ranmaru and Yuki, they tried to think up a plan that would manipulate Kyohei into admitting his feelings for Sunako. Kyohei had always denied ever having feelings for Sunako but in the end it was Kyohei who was always the one who rushed to her rescue. "How will you get him to confess, Takenaga?" Yuki asked during their meeting. The three made sure Sunako locked herself in her room and Kyohei was out of earshot.

"I could try to seduce Sunako-chan…no one can ever resist my charms." Ranmaru offered which earned him two hits on the head from Yuki and Takenaga.

"Is she still carrying a torch for Zaki?" Yuki asked.

Takenaga shrugged. "Our problem isn't Sunako-chan. It's Kyohei. We all know that he's the only one who can handle her."

"Then you're saying we should force Kyohei into admitting his feelings?" Yuki asked curiously.

"Force is too strong a word…" Takenaga smiled slyly. "Maybe we can _convince_ him about admitting. We all know how easy he is to manipulate."

"He'll be an easy target." Ranmaru smiled already liking where the plan was going.

"Exactly."

---

Meanwhile, Kyohei was in a bad mood. Sunako still hadn't made dinner and he was hungry as hell. Not only was he hungry, he was also broke so dining in a restaurant was out of the question. No way was he interested in asking Yuki and Ranmaru to cook something which would always turn out inedible. And as for Takenaga… asking him to cook was like asking for a death wish. "Open up! I'm hungry!" he banged on Sunako's door. "Geez…why do you keep your door closed anyway?!"

Finally Sunako opened it. "What do you want? I'm busy." She eyed him angrily.

"I want dinner and I want you to make it!" Kyohei grabbed her by the collar and dragged her out of her room.

"Let go of me! Stupid radiant creature!"

"I'm hungry, damn it! I'm sick and tired of having to sleep on an empty stomach. You've locked yourself in your room for two days already! I know the others haven't said anything but I know they'll want me to get you out of your room."

"Well I'm sick and tired of having to live with you radiant creatures!" The moment Sunako said those words she looked away guiltily.

"Do you hate me that much?" Kyohei asked quietly. He loosened his hold on Sunako and helped her to her feet. "Life would be better for you if I'm not around, don't you think?"

"I don't hate you." Sunako replied just as quietly. "I think life would be better for you radiant creatures if I weren't around instead. Creatures of the darkness can never live with creatures of the light."

"What's the whole deal with the creatures of light again?! We've lived in the same house for months now and you've been fine with it already." Suddenly, Kyohei remembered what happened at the train. Could it be…? He turned away. "Hey, what I said on the train…to Ranmaru…it's not that I don't like you…it's…we're friends…and I…he was getting the wrong idea…"

Sunako turned away too. _Friends._ Yes they were just friends so why should she feel bothered about it? "I…I'll cook dinner." But before she was able to walk past Kyohei, he had grabbed her arm again. "What is it now?" she asked in annoyance. I already said I was making dinner."

Kyohei couldn't look at Sunako straight in the eye. "N..nothing." He watched Sunako shrug him away and walk to the kitchen. "You sure seem like you hate me."

Ranmaru looked at Sunako who had just finished setting the table. He, Takenaga and Yuki simply sat there as Sunako laid out the dishes she had cooked for dinner. They would have offered to help but Sunako had told them before to never mess with her when she was preparing their food, especially not in the kitchen. When Sunako finished setting the table, she bowed and was about to leave the room when Yuki called out, "You're not joining us for dinner, Sunako-chan?"

Sunako simply stared at him and shook her head. "No."

"Why not? You cooked all this for us and you're not even going to taste the meals you prepared?" Ranmaru asked curiously.

"I know what it tastes like."

Takenaga bit his lip. This was not going according to plan. He and the others had hoped Sunako would be there while they 'talked' to Kyohei. "You might get hungry."

"I have some of the leftover chocolate."

Ranmaru's eyes lit up. "Ah, so Sunako-chan would rather eat the chocolate Kyohei gave her back in Hokkaido! It is love!"

Sunako shrugged. "No. I would just rather eat chocolate."

"I'm curious, Sunako-chan. Why do you like chocolates so much?" Takenaga asked.

Apparently, Sunako wasn't expecting him to ask her that. She paused for a bit before walking to the door. "They used to remind me of his hair."

"Whose hair?!" the three chorused but Sunako-chan was already out the door. Kyohei who had just walked in stared at the three who were still foolishly calling out to Sunako.

"Whose hair do you think chocolate reminds her of?" Yuki asked curiously.

"Idiot! Of course it's Zaki's hair!" Ranmaru exclaimed.

"So she likes Zaki's hair?" Yuki asked again.

"No! She's still in love with him!" Ranmaru argued.

Kyohei bit his lip at the sound of Zaki's name. He tried hard not to let the others see his reaction lest they tease him to Sunako again. Unfortunately for him, while Ranmaru and Yuki were arguing, Takenaga had his eyes on Kyohei.

"Yes, I do believe Sunako loves chocolates because it reminds her of Zaki. Right, Kyohei?"

Kyohei shrugged his shoulders. "That's just plain stupid." _Does she still like that idiot? No wonder she likes chocolates so much._ When Kyohei realized what he was thinking, he groaned. _Stupid Sunako-chan. I thought…_

After dinner, Kyohei sneaked out of the house and walked to the store. Little did he know, that because his three other housemates were planning to get him and Sunako together, he was being followed. "Where's Kyohei going?" Yuki asked.

"He probably couldn't take that Sunako still has feelings for Zaki." Ramaru replied.

"Quiet you two! Kyohei's not supposed to see us!" Takenaga warned them. They were hidden behind some bushes next to the store. A few moments later, Kyohei left carrying a paper bag.

"There goes the rest of my savings." Kyohei groaned as he walked back to the house. Meanwhile, when Kyohei was out of sight, the three rushed into the store.

"We need to know what that guy who just left bought here!" the three chorused to the surprised shopkeeper.

"Er…chocolates…the guy who just left ordered chocolates." The cashier blushed. Seldom did such hot guys enter their store. "I would gladly sell you those chocolates but he bought every last one."

The three left the store, wondering why in the world Kyohei bought chocolates. "It's obviously for her." Ranmaru observed.

"Is he trying to comfort her because chocolates reminded her of Zaki?" Yuki's eyes twinkled. "Kyohei is really in love with Sunako-chan!"

"He probably bought the chocolates because he didn't want her to go hungry. You saw how she refused to eat dinner." Ranmaru answered back.

Takenaga sighed. "Well, the only way for us to find out is to ask Kyohei."

While the boys argued on possible reasons why Kyohei could have bought chocolate, Kyohei on the other hand was standing outside Sunako's door and staring at it. Finally, he found the urge to knock, knowing full well that it was locked. It took a few more raps on the door before Sunako finally opened it. And when she did, Kyohei turned his head away and handed the paper bag to her.

Sunako looked at him curiously. "What do you want?"  
"Peace offering. So don't lock the door anymore."

"What is it…?" Sunako peered inside the bag, cautiously. She never could tell if the radiant creature was up to something again. When she finally realized what it was, her eyes lit up. "Chocolates!"

Kyohei stole a glance at her to see how she would react. Sure enough, it was always a positive one. "T…hey're…strawberry-flavored chocolates."

Sunako stared at him, not sure what he was talking about. "Eh?"

"T…that way you won't get anymore bad memories when you eat chocolate. You won't think of that idiot either. Got it? Strawberries. Yeah. Think of strawberries. And…yeah…just…strawberries."

END OF CHAPTER 18


	19. Chapter 19: Chance Encounters

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

--

Author's Note:

Happy New Year! Sorry for the delay (as usual haha). Thanks for the tons of reviews. I really enjoy reading them. They inspire me to continue . Hopefully this chapter would make up for lost time. Enjoy!

**CHAPTER 19: CHANCE ENCOUNTERS**

After giving the chocolates to Sunako, Kyohei stared blankly at her door. What the hell just happened? What the hell did he just do? Think of strawberries…that was a stupid thing to say to her. But then again, anything was better than letting Sunako think of Zaki again. Zaki…why did that guy bother him so much? He thought Zaki would completely be out of the picture when they got back to Tokyo but apparently that wasn't the case. Well, technically Zaki _was_ out of the picture but Kyohei had to admit he wasn't ready to hear that stupid jerk's name again. It was a good thing none of his housemates saw what he did or he'd never hear the end of it.

"Kyohei!" a voice from behind him spoke.

Kyohei jumped up in surprise. So much for his housemates not seeing what he just did. He realized he was still standing in front of her door. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

"Going into Sunako-chan's room again? Have you two kissed and made up already?" Ranmaru teased.

"Shut up." Kyohei mumbled under his breath.

"Or have you just gone there…?" Yuki asked in the same teasing tone as Ranmaru's.

Kyohei grunted and walked away without another word. No way was he going to stay and bear the teasing he was getting from the three boys. When Kyohei left the area, the door suddenly opened and Sunako peeked outside. She was about to say something when she saw her three housemates standing outside her door. "What do you want?" she asked them curiously.

"We were just wondering…Kyohei was here a while ago. We just wanted to know if he visited you or anything…" Yuki asked her.

Sunako paused for a moment. They weren't thinking of taking her chocolates were they? "Er…the radiant creature didn't give me chocolates so go away!" That being said, she went back into her room and shut the door.

Takenaga couldn't hide the smile on his face. "Sunako-chan is such a terrible liar. Of course we know Kyohei gave her the chocolates."

---

Sunako pressed her ear on the door to check if the radiant creatures had finally left. When she could no longer hear their voices, she gave a sigh of relief. What was up with those creatures of the light anyway? They were all acting weird and she didn't even know the reason why. Not that she cared anyway. She reached for the box of chocolates she left on the table. But before she was able to take one bite, the face of the most radiant one penetrated her thoughts. _Strawberries._ She shook her head as though to erase the thought that just came up. But each time she took a bite of the chocolate, she was again reminded of the radiant one's words. _Think of strawberries…and…_ and what? Just strawberries. Why on earth did the radiant one say those words? Why should she think of strawberries? Then she realized that he was talking about how chocolates reminded her of Zaki. Stupid. That was a long time ago. Now she just loved chocolates because they were delicious.

She was too preoccupied in thinking about what his words could mean that she didn't realize that it was already midnight. Her stomach grumbled. She knew she shouldn't have been eating chocolates when she hadn't had dinner yet, but they were so tempting and they were too delicious to resist. At least the radiant beings would be asleep by now and would no longer bother her. She left the room and decided to head to the kitchen for a midnight snack.

She was just about to return to her room when she saw a dim light flicker in the living room. Curiously, she walked towards the area to see who had left the lamp on. '_Those radiant creatures are really so wasteful,_ Sunako thought. When she finally reached the area, she stopped once she saw who was sleeping on the couch.

She knew she should wake him up and tell him to go back in his room. And possibly give him a scolding for wasting electricity. But upon seeing his face, she couldn't say anything much less do anything at all. He was perfect. All his features were beyond comparison and it was like looking at an angel brought to life. Unconsciously, her hand moved to touch his face, and when she realized what she was doing, she stopped herself. Instead, she tugged at one of the curtains to use it as a blanket. At least it was clean, she'd had them washed the day before.

"Creatures of the darkness should never mingle with those from the light." Sunako muttered under her breath before she draped the curtain over him. But as she was about to turn away, a voice spoke and she felt someone grab her hand.

"Wait."

---

After leaving Sunako's room a while back, Kyohei realized he couldn't sleep. He didn't even know what came over him. Strawberries. Think of strawberries. And what else did he want her thinking about? Certainly not about him. That was just plain stupid. At least he wouldn't be thinking of Zaki whenever she indulged in chocolates. "What's wrong with me?" Kyohei muttered. These days all he could think of was her. When he closed his eyes, Sunako's face still managed to appear.

He was already so frustrated with himself that he left his room to get some air. He walked to the living room and collapsed on the couch. No sooner had he lain down on the couch did he hear footsteps approaching. '_I'll just act asleep so that whoever approaches won't bother me_,' Kyohei thought to himself. If any of the three guys saw him he'd definitely be asked about what he was doing in front of Sunako's room.

Suddenly, someone had covered him with a large piece of cloth. He kept his eyes closed lest he blew his cover but the moment he felt the cloth drape on him, he knew it couldn't possibly be Takenaga, Yuki or Ranmaru. When he heard her speak, he couldn't help himself.

"Wait." And without thinking, he grabbed her hand.

She was surprised at his reaction that she instinctively jerked her hand. Apparently she jerked too hard because it caused him to fly off the couch and come crashing down on her.

Kyohei winced at the impact but didn't move from his position on top of her. "You alright?" he asked. When he leaned in closer, he realized that she was looking to the side, eyes closed tightly. Kyohei sighed and moved away. "I forgot. You hate seeing my face, right? Maybe it would be better if I weren't here."

"That's not what I meant! A creature of darkness cannot be in the presence of the light!"

"You keep saying that when I don't even care!" Kyohei turned Sunako's face to his. Upon seeing her wince, he covered her eyes with his hand. "It would be better if you didn't even see me, right?"

She stopped fidgeting beneath him but Sunako was sure she'd break into a nosebleed at any minute if he continued to stay this close to her. "Get away from me."

"Do you hate me, Sunako?"

"I don't hate you. It's just that…"

"Yeah, yeah…creatures of light and darkness can't mix or whatever. This is stupid." He removed his hand from her eyes and stood up. "I'm going to bed."

Sunako stared at his retreating back, too shaken to say anything or do anything.

---

The next morning, Kyohei decided that he wouldn't care what happened to Sunako. She could remain as weird as ever for all he cared. Besides, the Landlady didn't remind them of turning Sunako into a lady anymore. She was stubborn to care anyway so why should he? So for the entire day, even if it meant running away from his stalker "fans" and hiding so that they wouldn't find him, he did it. No way was he using her as an excuse anymore. She already blew his cover so why bother pretending anymore? He thought he'd finally found the perfect hiding place at the school's rooftop until he heard a voice speak from behind him. "Kyohei-kun?"

'_Yikes. So much for hiding.'_ Kyohei thought.

"Please don't run away. I swear I won't do anything crazy like your other fans," the girl was saying.

He looked at her. He didn't recognize her face at all but she seemed harmless enough so he decided to just stick around.

The girl couldn't look at him in the eye, Kyohei noticed. It also took quite a few seconds before she spoke, and when she did, he felt he'd heard the same words before. "I like you, Kyohei-kun. I've always liked you."

END OF CHAPTER 19


	20. Chapter 20: Accepting the Unacceptable

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

Author's Note:

This is for all those wonderful people and their wonderful reviews! Thank you bunches! Apologies for the late update. Had to get my laptop fixed.

**CHAPTER 20: ACCEPTING THE UNACCEPTABLE**

Kyohei stared at the girl who, a while ago, spoke the words he dreaded to hear.

"I like you, Kyohei-kun. I've always liked you."

Apparently, he was too stunned to even move, let alone speak. And quite a few minutes had already passed that the girl finally broke the silence.

"Forgive me, Kyohei-kun. I was too brazen." The girl blushed and then bowed. "I won't bother you again." She turned her back and was about to leave when Kyohei stopped her.

"Hey, uh…what's your name?"

The girl stared at him, surprise apparent in her face. "Watari, Yuzu."

Kyohei sighed. This scene felt so familiar that he couldn't help but give a weak smile. Normally he'd just brush her off or simply ignore her, but with what has happened the past few days, he felt that it wouldn't seem right. He didn't want to be another Zaki in someone's life, nor did he want anyone else to get hurt…the way Sunako-chan was. And when the thought hit him, he sighed again. "Yuzu-chan, thank you."

He could see that she was a bit chipper when he thanked her. Kyohei was about to say something else but Yuzu had already rushed away and left him all alone. Her words though still hung in the air.

"_I like you, Kyohei-kun. I've always liked you."_

He groaned and messed up his hair. He did not plan on this happening. But it did. And when he finally realized it, he knew there was no turning back.

Where was he? It was already time for dinner and yet she could only see three of the radiant creatures by the dinner table. Not that she cared anyway. She just didn't want to have any leftovers. It was already hard to budget their meals and more spoiled food was not a solution to that problem. She had already passed the last bowl of rice when someone stopped her. "Er, Sunako-chan, you're serving an extra one. We're only four right now." she heard Yuki say.

"Oh." Sunako said absentmindedly. She was saving the radiant creature's share of dinner when this time, Takenaga stopped her.

"Uh, Sunako-chan, Kyohei called a while ago to say that he wasn't going to have dinner here tonight. I thought I told you about it while you were busy preparing."

Sunako froze. This wasn't another case of her bad cooking again was it? She remembered the time when Kyohei refused to have dinner at home and preferred to eat out at some newly opened restaurant instead. She shook her head. No, he did that because the owner asked for his help, she reminded herself. Would that also be the case now? "I hate leftovers." Sunako muttered.

Ranmaru laughed. "He'll probably eat his share later if not tomorrow. He can never resist you…" He gave a devilish grin. "…oh…and your cooking too."

Sunako didn't reply but the three gave her reassuring smiles. "Yeah, Sunako-chan. Kyohei loves your cooking…he might even love you too!" Takenaga and Yuki chorused.

She didn't seem to hear them though, or it may also be that the idea didn't sink into her system. And so, when she had cleared the table and left, they huddled together. "Did you see how she worried over him?" Yuki asked excitedly.

"And how she hated that she wasn't around. She was probably worried that he found someone else." Ranmaru added.

"Well, whatever it is that Kyohei is doing, it's working. He probably realized his feelings already and is trying to make her miss him." Takenaga spoke up.

Just then, Kyohei finally arrived. The three rushed to greet him. "You, devil, you! Making Sunako worry about you. You want her to miss you that much?" Ranmaru teased him.

Kyohei didn't reply but picked up the food that Sunako covered for him.

Yuki looked at him dreamily. "And there you are eating the food that she prepared for you. You don't want to upset her so you decided to eat it and please her!"

Kyohei looked at them with a weird look. "No. I told Takenaga that I'd be late but that I'd be having dinner here."

Takenaga reddened. "Oh. Was that it? I thought you said you'd be having dinner elsewhere."

Kyohei groaned. "You know that when I don't eat here that girl gets all crazy. She'll probably think that her cooking sucks again. Nah, I didn't have money and I couldn't let Yuzu treat me to dinner either…" The minute Kyohei uttered Yuzu's name, he regretted it.

"WHO'S YUZU?" the three chorused.

But before they could get any answer from Kyohei, he'd already left. Meanwhile, they hadn't realized that someone else was watching them.

"Yuzu… so that's the reason he was late." Sunako said to herself.

The following day, Takenaga, Ranmaru and Yuki were surprised at what Sunako had prepared for lunch. "Wow…fried shrimp. Looks like someone was worried that Kyohei wouldn't be eating here again." Ranmaru grinned.

"Don't worry, Sunako-chan. Kyohei ate the dinner you prepared for him." Yuki assured her.

"Speaking of Kyohei, did you see where he went?" Takenaga asked.

Sunako paled. "He is not… here?" she asked quietly.

"Oh my! Sunako prepared this for him and he just up and left without saying anything?" Ranmaru sighed and stood up. "To hurt our Sunako-chan…Kyohei is so heartless!"

"Yeah…and he even mentioned Yuzu…" Yuki added.

Ranmaru eyed Yuki angrily. "How dare you mention that name with Sunako-chan in our presence! That was supposed to be secret between the three of us and Kyohei!"

"We don't know who Yuzu is though." Takenaga suddenly said. "For all we know she's probably just a classmate of his. Or his long lost friend or something."

"Kyohei doesn't have any girl friends. You know how he hates being stalked and surrounded by girls." Yuki spoke up.

"You're making this worse for Sunako-chan, Yuki!" Ranmaru hissed.

Suddenly, Kyohei entered the room. With him was a girl around their age, with brown hair tied up in bun. Although not as beautiful as Noi, she had a face that would make you want to take a second look at her. She gave a timid smile when Takenaga, Ranmaru, Yuki and Sunako looked at her. Kyohei cleared his throat and finally broke the silence. "This is Yuzu."

Yuzu blushed. "I can't believe that I'm meeting all of you at last! My friends would be so jealous of me! I'm in the house of Mori High's famous four!" She gave Sunako a sweet smile. "Oh, and of course, Sunako lives here too. All the girls in school are so jealous of you!"

The three boys didn't reply, and neither did Sunako. She looked at Kyohei, then the girl. "I'll get an extra plate."

Kyohei stopped her. He eyed the food hungrily but shook his head. "No need. We're going out it a bit…" When he saw Sunako's eyes widen he grabbed two pieces of shrimp. "Save some for me later. And yes, I'm having dinner here." Kyohei quickly added. And to Yuzu, "We better go."

Yuzu bowed and gave them a small smile. "It was a pleasure to meet you all."

When they finally left, the three eyed Sunako curiously. Was she going to cry? What was she feeling exactly? They wanted to ask these questions but were afraid of doing so. However, she was quiet, until a few minutes later. "More food for all of you."

"Didn't Kyohei say to save some for him? This is his favorite food." Takenaga replied.

"He already ate two pieces. That's his share. I hate leftovers." Sunako replied curtly.

Ranmaru couldn't hide his smile. "Don't worry, Sunako-chan. He always comes back to you."

It took a while for her to reply. "He lives here."

Takenaga and Yuki exchanged glances. Could it be that Sunako was getting jealous?

"Have you ever fallen in love, Takano-kun?" Yuzu asked him curiously. They had just left the house and were headed to one of the restaurants in town.

Kyohei was taken aback by her question. "Er…what makes you say that?"

"Well, to be honest, you can get any girl you want. So I that made me wonder why you're still single. There were rumors about you and Nakahara, you know. We all thought that you were together."

"We're not together. We're just friends. I think she already made that clear to all the girls, which is why I'm being chased again. Stupid girl. That was the only way to keep me safe from everyone."

"So you don't _like_ her?"

Kyohei looked away before replying. "I don't."

Yuzu smiled. "So do I have a chance of being liked back? You haven't rejected me yet…"

He paled. '_Oh yeah. I forgot about that._' Kyohei thought. "I haven't been exactly honest with you."

"What do you mean, Takano-kun?"

"Well…your confession reminded me of what happened to a girl I know. She said the exact same things to the guy she liked and…" he trailed off, not sure if he should continue.

"He rejected her, didn't he? And you don't want to do the same thing with me, is that correct?" Yuzu replied bluntly.

He blushed. "No one should feel the way she felt." He turned away from Yuzu. "No one deserves to feel that way. She never deserved that to happen to her."

"Then why don't you just tell her how you feel? You obviously care about her if you're worried of rejecting me the way that guy did to her."

"I can't do that!"

"If you're worried about hurting my feelings, don't be. I don't like you as much as you obviously do her." Yuzu smiled. "Who's the lucky girl? Better tell her or else someone might beat you to it."

"We're just friends." Kyohei mumbled under his breath.

Yuzu's eyes widened. "So it is true! The rumors were true after all! You're in love with Nakahara Sunako!" She rubbed her temples. "But why her? You can have any girl you want! Why settle for an ugly– "

At that point, Kyohei stopped her. "I won't forgive anyone who calls her ugly."

"I didn't mean it that way…I was just surprised at the thought that you would fall for someone like her."

Was it so strange even for other people to think he'd have feelings for Sunako? Not that he did, though. "I'd better go. Forget we even talked about this. Sunako-chan is my friend and I won't let anyone hurt her ever again." With that, he left a speechless Yuzu who watched him, surprised at his reactions.

When Kyohei arrived home, it was already time for dinner. "I'm hungry what's for dinner?" he called out as he entered the dining room. He was met by mischievous grins from his three housemates. "What's with the weird faces?" he asked in annoyance.

"Somebody hurt someone's feelings a while ago." Yuki replied in a teasing voice.

"What are you talking about?" His eyes turned to the dinner table and the food that was served. To the ordinary person, one would see a mouthwatering feast, but to Kyohei, what he saw was an act of war. Carrot soup, carrot mixed with fried rice, carrot juice and other meals mixed with carrots were enough to piss him off. "Where's the food? You brat, I told you I was eating here!" he charged at Sunako who had just entered the room.

"We're having leftovers for dinner. I decided to just add a few ingredients to make them more edible." Sunako replied, not looking at him.

"What are you talking about? You put carrots in everything! You know I hate carrots most of all!" he accused her.

"I always put carrots in your food. I just mince them so you won't notice."

"Then why not mince them now?" he argued.

"Tired."

"You're doing it on purpose!" Kyohei replied angrily. "I'm heading to the fridge to find some real food!"

The three just grinned. "Itadakimasu!"

"Sunako-chan, you are such a sadist! Why not tell him that you left some fried shrimp for him to find inside the fridge?" Takenaga told her.

Sunako didn't reply immediately. "He's too picky with food." she said at last.

Meanwhile, when Kyohei reached the kitchen, he was still pissed at Sunako's obvious bullying. "What did I do wrong now? Stupid, Sunako. There's no way I could love someone like her. It was stupid of me to even think about it." He reached for the fridge's handle and was surprised to see a plate of fried shrimp covered with a plastic foil. A note which read "Stupid Radiant Creature" was pinned on the foil.

There's no way he could love someone like Sunako-chan, he thought.

END OF CHAPTER 20


	21. Chapter 21: Unexpected Encounter

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

Author's Note:

It's been a loooooooooooooong time hasn't it? For those who continue to support my work, many thanks! (Ranmaru version will be posted too ^_^ ). I know what you guys will think of the end…repetitive…but I have a twist in mind…:D

**CHAPTER 21: UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER**

When Kyohei finished the last piece of shrimp Sunako left behind, he couldn't help but smile. That girl truly was a mystery. He could never get what she was thinking. And nor could she…he grinned evilly. He walked to her bedroom and knocked on her door. She never locked it (except on certain times), and even though he was never granted permission to enter, he still did anyway. He lightly rapped on her door. "Sunako-chan!"

"Go away, stupid, stupid!"

He grinned and knocked again. "Thanks for the shrimp. I knew you couldn't resist me." He gave a loud laugh.

"They were only leftovers, stupid."

He laughed again and turned the knob. "Hey!"

He found her on the floor lying on her back. What weird idea came into her head again? "Can't sleep?" he asked her.

She ignored him and sighed. He never did want to leave her to her peace. "Go away."

He ignored her as well and lay on his back beside her. "Why are you staring at the ceiling?" he paused as he did the same thing, his eyes widened at his discovery. "Cool!" The entire ceiling was covered with luminous 'stars'. When he squinted his eyes he realized that the 'stars' were actually luminous skulls. "How'd you get it all up there? You can't reach that high."

She groaned. "Used my table to put all those up."

"I want you to do the same to my room."

"Forget it. You know how hard it is to reach the ceiling? I fell a couple of times just to get those stars up."

"Where'd you buy them?"

"The store I usually visit after school. They even have skull wallpapers! But they were too expensive so I ended up buying those luminous skulls instead."

"Buy some for me."

"Buy your own."

He laughed. "Give me some!" He turned to face her lying down beside him. Truth be told, aside from the many times she tried to torture or beat the hell out of him, it was nice simply being with her…minus the outburst and massive nosebleeds of course. Why couldn't she be like a normal girl? Kyohei muttered to himself. But then again, did he really want her to be like all those 'normal' girls? He realized he was so close to her that he inched away a bit, lest she break into another nosebleed as usual.

"Buy your own, stupid creature of the light. Why should you expect me to buy things for you when you never return my stuff?"

"I returned some of them. I only keep the cool ones." He laughed, remembering the time when he snuck into her room to watch one of her horror DVDs. When she found him, she violently threw him out but he had managed to steal the DVD he was watching. He even took the skull ring she bought last Halloween.

He heard her chuckle, which surprised him. "I want my ring back. Don't think I've forgotten about that. I tried searching your room for it but you must have hidden it somewhere else."

"Oh, you mean this?" he laughed and raised his hand high enough for her to see the skull ring on his finger.

She instinctively reached out to grab his hand. "That's mine!"

He jerked his hand away playfully. "Finders keepers."

"Give it back!" She continued to reach for his hand. When he suddenly grabbed hers, she stopped fidgeting and turned away. "Fine. Keep it. I don't want to anymore." She tried to tug her hand free but he refused to let go.

_I'm going to faint._ She panicked. She could feel a nosebleed about to occur. Why won't he let her go already? To calm herself, she looked at the ceiling and tried to pretend he wasn't there.

He watched her turn her attention away. Even in the darkness her face glowed. What the hell was he thinking? The incident with Yuzu really got into his head. Then, from out of the blue, he heard her speak.

"Did you say something? I didn't hear you."

She spoke again, but her voice was so inaudible that he had to lean closer. "Speak louder, Sunako! Stupid!"

She turned to scream at him. "I said let go of my hand, stupid…" Her eyes widened in surprise because the moment she turned her head to scream into his ear, he apparently thought of doing the same and turned his face towards her as well. And when they did, she felt his lips press against hers.

Then, as always, Sunako blacked out.

Sunako woke up the next day covered in blood. How she hated him! But did she really? She was upset when he brought the pretty girl home to meet everyone. She shook her head. No…it wasn't because of her…it was because she had made dinner for five and hated spoilt food.

"From now on, Hiroshi-kun, I am going to ignore him! To me, the creature of the light no longer exists!"

_Will that make you feel better, Sunako-chan?_

"I hate him to the core!"

_He hasn't done anything wrong, Sunako-chan._

A vision of what happened between them last night flashed back at her. "He keeps tormenting me!"

_He loves being with you, Sunako-chan._

Her eyes widened. "Impossible! He always steals my stuff, always demands so much, always barges into my room even though I don't want him to."

_He saved you from Zaki. And he's always been there for you._

Sunako ran her fingers through her hair. She needed to think straight. Hiroshi-kun was putting strange thoughts into her head and she didn't like it. She left her room and walked into the living room where the boys sat waiting for her to make breakfast. They all glanced as she entered the room.

"Breakfast already? My Sunako-chan…that was fast…" Ranmaru greeted her.

Yuki stood up. "I can help you set the table if you want."

Her eyes immediately fell on Kyohei. He refused to look at her. And she knew the reason why. She knew he was afraid she'd strangle him for what he did last night. And how she wanted to! But not now. Not now that her mind was not functioning well.

Ranmaru's eyes followed where she was gazing. "Ooohh….if you want Kyohei to help instead of Yuki…"

Sunako frowned. "Leftovers for breakfast. I'm going out. I'll clean up afterwards so just leave everything in the sink." She knew if they tried to tidy up it would end up in disaster.

"Where are you going, Sunako-chan?" Takenaga asked curiously. He was looking at Kyohei as well thinking what Kyohei might have done again to make Sunako act so weirdly. Without another word, she left the room to get ready.

Takenaga turned his attention to Kyohei who was quietly attempting to leave the room. "Kyohei…what did you do this time?"

Kyohei winced guiltily. "N…nothing."

Ranmaru and Yuki looked at him excitedly. "Oooh….we don't believe you! First you bring a girl home, now Sunako is acting all strange."

"Yuzu is just a girl I met who reminded me of Sunako…" He sighed and began to tell them how he met Yuzu. He knew they'd never stop pestering him if he didn't anyway so he might as well get it over with. When he finished retelling his story, Ranmaru and Yuki couldn't stifle their laughs. "This is the day we've been waiting for! The day Kyohei realized it was Sunako he wanted and not anyone else!" Yuki beamed.

"Stupid. She just reminded me of what happened with Sunako and Zaki." Kyohei replied defensively.

"Ah…but you did not pursue the relationship with Yuzu because you felt that it was wrong to leave Sunako alone!" Ranmaru countered. He grabbed Kyohei by the collar. "Admit it. It's always been her!"

Kyohei pushed him away. "Of course not. I would never fall for someone like her!" he shouted.

"Nor will I for you, stupid radiant creature!" a voice out of nowhere shouted.

All eyes turned to Sunako who had just entered the room.

"It's not what you think, Sunako-chan! Kyohei really loves you!" Yuki said abruptly.

Kyohei turned to Sunako but she had a blank expression on her face. Why did she always have to enter at the wrong moment? And where the hell was she going? "Where are you going?"

She ignored him and walked out the door.

Shopping at her favorite place had always calmed her down. The ambience was perfect – dark and dreary. Not many frequented that shop (except during Halloween), but for many a fan of the dark and gloomy, it always welcomed such customers. Today was not an exception. The shopkeeper greeted Sunako-chan – he, too, was a fan of such designs which is probably why they liked each other's company. "You're quite early today, Miss Nakahara."

"Decided to drop by. This place always cheers me up." Sunako sighed happily as she browsed through the items in the store.

"You truly are a strange one…but as my favorite customer, I can't complain. Browse through our new section. We have some new items you might like."

Sunako walked happily to where the store keeper pointed. Her eyes glanced through the items and fell upon a black Grim Reaper like coat. She was about to reach for it until someone grazed her hand.

"Oh…did you want that, too?"

(END CHAPTER 21)


	22. Chapter 22: Finding Mr Perfect

**DISCLAIMER:**

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

**Author's Note:**

I am sure many would want to know what happened and I am thankful that eventhough it's been quite a while since I last updated, a lot have been clamouring for updates! I thank you for all the reviews! Now let me return the favors by updating this fanfic at last. I know it's a bit short so bear with me. Planning to update this week as soon as I find the notebook I placed the other half of this chapter in. Am also fixing the layout (realized the previous ones were really sucky)

**Chapter 22: Finding Mr. Perfect**

"Did you want that?" the voice repeated.

Sunako was startled that someone had spoken to her and though she would usually ignore whoever spoke, this time, she was curious to know who had wanted the same thing she did.

Her eyes moved upward, noticing the stranger's very _interesting_ pair of skull-designed sneakers, going upward to his _perfect_ black skull shirt. The perfect friend at last!

Until her eyes fell on his face and she looked away.

Things weren't so perfect after all.

The stranger smiled. "You know, you would look better in this…" he held out a long gothic styled Lolita dress in front of her. "But if you want it so badly, I may be persuaded to let you have it if you tell me your name."

She looked longingly at the executioner's cape they were both holding. _Must have it. Must have it._ She turned to the stranger again, ready to agree to his compromise. Her eyes turned to his face, which was quite smooth and fair. His hair, a deep shade of brown covered most of his eyes but when he brushed it away with his hand, she cringed. _Too bright!_ Why did he have to be a radiant creature as well? She sighed and let go of the cape. "I don't want it anymore."

She left the store with a heavy heart. _'I hope he won't be there tomorrow. Otherwise I won't be able to go to that store anymore. And what a perfect store that was!'_

When she got back home, she was greeted by Kyohei who was waiting for her at the gate. "I'm hungry."

"There are leftovers in the kitchen." Sunako walked past him, as usual. He had always been a pain in the ass. And now that she 'lost' the cape she wanted, she was in no mood to do anything that day.

Kyohei watched her retreating back. _'What just happened to her?' _he thought to himself.

* * *

"What did you do this time, Kyohei?" Ranmaru teased. The four housemates were gathered at the dining room. The minute they found out they were going to have leftovers for dinner, they knew something was up.

Kyohei groaned. "Why is it you guys always think I did something wrong?"

"Well, Sunako went straight to her room again. Plus we're having leftovers so that means you must have pissed her off." Yuki replied.

"Go ask your girlfriend what's wrong." Ranmaru couldn't help but add.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Kyohei sighed. Why doesn't she just become a normal girl? Then his four housemates wouldn't be pestering him about her anymore. "Fine. I'll see what's wrong."

He left the table and went straight to her room. He barged in as always and found her lying down on the floor. He kicked at her side.

"You still alive?" he laughed.

"Go away."

"What's wrong this time? Those three idiots won't leave me alone. They think I did something wrong again."

Sunako sighed. "The cape. I wanted the cape."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "You and your weird collections again. Too expensive?" He knew she was a big spender, but only when there was something she really wanted to have. "How much was it?"

"The cape…" she muttered under her breath.

He sighed. She was at that certain 'gloom' mood again. "Let's buy it tomorrow. I think I have some extra cash."

She turned to face him, looking at him strangely. What the hell was the radiant creature talking about? "Buy what?"

"The cape you wanted."

She sighed again. The cape probably wouldn't be there anymore. That radiant stranger probably bought it when she left the store. Why were radiant creatures such a pain? They always wanted to torment her.

"So, which store has it?"

"Skull Shack."

He grinned. He passed by that store once when he was going home from school. "I know that place. Newly opened, right? It has all those cool items I'm sure you'd be crazy about." He gave her head a little pat. "We'll visit tomorrow and see if it's still available." He tugged at her arm. "Now come on. Cook me some fried shrimp."

* * *

After school, Sunako decided to risk visiting "Skull Shack", the store she had visited yesterday. _'Please don't let that creature be there.'_ Sunako prayed.

When she arrived at the store, she rushed immediately to where she last saw the executioner's cape. Her face fell when she realized that it was gone._ 'He probably bought it when I left.'_ She sighed and walked over to the manager. "Will you still be ordering more of those executioner capes?" she asked him.

The manager checked his log book before addressing her. "Well, they won't be arriving till next month. However," He eyed her up and down. "There is one reserved…"

Her eyes lit up. "Really? Can I have it instead?"

"Well, it's already paid for." The manager smiled and took out a small box. "To the lady who won't give her name." he read on the box. "The man who bought it specifically stated to give it to the one who refused to let him know her name. I'm guessing that's you?" He handed Sunako the box in his hand.

"I can't accept this." Although tempted she was.

"Although I still believe this dress will look better on you." A voice from out of nowhere answered.

Sunako turned to where the voice came from and found herself in front of the radiant being she saw the day before. This time, he was wearing a uniform and looked much brighter than usual.

"I can't accept things given by radiant creatures!" she immediately blurted out.

"Radiant creatures? Me?" The stranger laughed. "I might say the same for you. You're pretty radiant yourself. But please call me Shio."

She couldn't help but let out a chuckle at what he said. He thought her radiant? Her? He must be joking! She could never be one of those creatures of the light!

"You look prettier when you laugh." He suddenly took her hand. "So please tell me your name."

She was taken aback when he took her hand that she immediately tugged it away. "Keep the cape. I don't want it anymore."

The radiant one – Shio – turned to the manager. "Then throw it away. If Ms. Radiant doesn't want it, I don't want it either."

THROW THE CAPE AWAY? WAS HE MAD?

"No don't!" Sunako turned to Shio and had surprisingly grabbed his hand. "I…"

"SUNAKO-CHAN!" Another voice called out.

It was Kyohei this time.

* * *

_Where the hell was she?_

Kyohei knew he told Sunako they'd be going to the Skull Shack to buy her cape, but he found out that she skipped on him. '_She probably went ahead_', he thought. He knew how she hated walking along side of him. People were always staring at the two of them. Not that he minded, he never cared anyway. But it was she who never wanted to be seen with him. "The things I do for that idiot." Kyohei muttered under his breath. "Well, if that's the way she wants it to be, I don't care. I'll buy that cape for myself just to spite her!" he laughed to himself.

But when he approached the store window, he saw something that he never expected to see – Sunako grabbing onto a student. Was she in trouble again? He hoped not. And without thinking, he burst into the store and yelled out her name.

"SUNAKO-CHAN!"

* * *

Sunako sighed. Why did he always have to arrive at the wrong time? She turned to Kyohei. "Go away! I'll cook dinner later!"

Shio turned to her and smiled. "Boyfriend of yours?"

Kyohei laughed. "Me? No way! I'd never fall for this idiot!" Then his eyes fell on Sunako's hand which had grasped the stranger's. He looked at Sunako and grinned. "Was I interrupting something?" he teased.

She then realized she was still holding Shio's hand. She immediately dropped it. "Fine. I'm going home."

"Wait…" Shio called out and handed her the box. "You forgot this, Ms. Radiant, _Sunako-chan_."

END OF CHAPTER 22


	23. Chapter 23: Mr Perfect VS Mr Right

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own "The Wallflower" franchise, nor am I the author of this series. This credit goes to TOMOKO HAYAKAWA. Please support the mangaka!

Author's Note:

I'm back! Thank you for all the support. Enjoy! ^_^

**Chapter 23: Mr. Perfect VS Mr. Right**

She was silent on the way back, which was not unusual, but given the circumstances, Kyohei couldn't resist teasing her. "No wonder you left me behind. You were meeting someone! What's his name?"

"I don't remember."

He laughed. "You finally have a boyfriend! Now the others will stop teasing me!" He grabbed the package she was holding tightly. "So…what's in this box?"

"Hey! Give that back! That's mine!" Sunako looked at him angrily and tried pulling the box away from him. How dare that radiant creature try to take her beloved cape!

They continued tugging against the box that it suddenly ripped and the cape fell on the floor. When it did, Sunako's eyes blazed. She grabbed the cape and began hitting him as hard as she could.

"That's it! We're having carrots for dinner!"

Kyohei's reaction to the cape that fell was different. _So that guy bought her what she wanted, eh?_ He thought to himself. Looks like that guy thought stupid Sunako was special. Well good for her. She would finally become a lady and they'd all get free rent.

When they arrived home, they were greeted by the three housemates. "What took you guys so long?" they chorused.

"Did you guys go out on a date?" Ranmaru teased.

Kyohei looked at them triumphantly. "Sunako's got a boyfriend!"

Yuki looked at them curiously. "Poor Kyohei…"

"That's because you were too slow!" Ranmaru added.

"Stupid! This is great news! We'll finally be rent free! Let's call the landlady and tell her the good news!" Kyohei beamed excitedly. "Oi, Sunako! Tell them about it!"

The three stared at silent Sunako who held the cape tightly. "I don't know what he's talking about."

When she left, the three housemates turned their attention to Kyohei. "Stop making up stories!" Yuki exclaimed.

"It's true I tell you! Why won't you all believe me? Is it that unbelievable that someone would ever like a girl like her?"

"No, we don't think it's unbelievable. The thing we don't believe is you not liking her." Takenaga replied.

"I don't see her that way." Kyohei replied quietly. "And, if you can't accept that, then you just have to wait and see." Without another word, Kyohei left. _I can't believe they don't believe me. Stupid Sunako. Why did she have to deny it? _Kyohei wondered. He was about to enter his room when he passed by hers. _Might as well bug her_. He grinned. He wondered what the cape looked like. She certainly liked it so much that she fought him when he tried to take it away. Without thinking, he barged in her room. "Hey––"

He was surprised to see her wearing the cloak, her face illuminated by candlelight. His eyes widened. He'd never seen her look as radiant as she did – well she'd always looked radiant in her comfort zone. He took a step towards her, his hand reaching out to her. She turned and saw him staring at her and her eyes blazed. "What are you doing here?"

"Er...I wanted to see the cloak your boyfriend gave you."

She looked at him suspiciously.

He took another step towards her. "The cloak really looks good on you."

The suspicion was replaced with delight. "Really? I didn't want to take it at first. But that radiant stranger was so insistent and he said if I didn't take it he'd throw it away." She sighed dreamily. "What a waste that would have been."

"Radiant stranger?" Kyohei couldn't hide his laughter. "What was so radiant about him? He looked ordinary to me."

"Well, he wasn't as radiant as you. His clothes were so cool! All those skulls! I wonder where he buys his clothes..."

"You like him, don't you?" he teased.

She blushed. "Of course not. But I have to see him again!" She smiled happily.

His eyes widened. Did he hear that properly? She actually wanted to see someone again...and according to her a radiant being? He knew he should be happy about it, but why did it seem like he wasn't?

* * *

_Should I go back to the Skull Shack?_ Sunako wondered. The next day, all she could think of was the radiant stranger. Would he even be there? She so wanted to see him to ask where he bought the clothes. She didn't even mind that he was a radiant creature. She could just look the other way, she thought, so as to avoid looking at him. Plus, the store was a dim-lit place so that would also help out.

"You going to see your boyfriend?" A voice from behind her asked.

It was the radiant creature again.

She was saved from speaking when they both saw a bunch of girls run towards the school gates. What were those girls doing now? Were they that excited to go home? She heard several excited girls exclaim, "What a hottie!"

"Is he waiting for his girlfriend?"

She was about to pass through the gates when she heard a familiar voice call out. "Radiant! There you are!"

Both she and Kyohei turned and saw the 'radiant stranger' from yesterday. He definitely wasn't from their school because he was wearing a different uniform.

"What are you doing here?"

Sunako looked at Kyohei who was eyeing Shio strangely. She was about to ask the same thing, but the radiant creature beat her to it.

Shio grinned. "You never told me where you went to school so I had to investigate. You make it really hard for a guy to find you." Shio told her, completely ignoring Kyohei.

"You came here to see me?" Sunako asked in surprise.

"Isn't it obvious?" He didn't wait for her to reply, but he grabbed her hand. "I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat."

Sunako felt another hand grab her arm. "Hey, you're supposed to make dinner..."

"There are leftovers." Sunako replied immediately.

Kyohei felt Shio remove his hold on Sunako. "Great! Then you'll have dinner with me?"

As they walked away, Kyohei couldn't believe his eyes. Sunako actually wanted to go with that stranger?

"Kyohei, you were right!" He heard the three other housemates say to him. Apparently, they saw the whole thing.

"Serves you right for taking her for granted." Ranmaru teased.

Kyohei couldn't even respond to their words. All he could think of was that Sunako might actually like someone.

-END-


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